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Pre- and Postnatal Development of the Eye: A Species Comparison
Steven Van Cruchten1, Vanessa Vrolyk2, Marie-France Perron Lepage3
1Applied Veterinary Morphology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
Insights
This review compares human and animal eye development for safety assessments. Most common animal models show similar ocular development to humans, aiding drug development.
Area of Science:
- Comparative ophthalmology
- Developmental biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Pre- and postnatal ocular development varies across species.
- Understanding species-specific eye development is crucial for accurate human safety assessments.
- Commonly used nonclinical species include mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, minipig, and nonhuman primates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare pre- and postnatal eye development between humans and commonly used nonclinical species.
- To provide data for selecting appropriate species in juvenile toxicity studies.
- To aid in interpreting clinical and nonclinical data for pediatric drug development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing data on ocular development.
- Inclusion of new data on rat and minipig ocular development.
- Comparative analysis of developmental windows and anatomical features.
Main Results:
- Ocular development is strikingly similar between humans and most nonclinical species.
- Differences exist in developmental timing and anatomical features (e.g., fovea centralis, nictitating membrane).
- All commonly used nonclinical species appear to be good models for human eye development, with size being a practical constraint.
Conclusions:
- Nonclinical species generally serve as adequate models for human eye development.
- Species selection for juvenile toxicity studies can be informed by this comparative data.
- Interpretation of pediatric drug development data is enhanced by understanding ocular development similarities and differences.
Abstract:
In this review paper, literature data on pre- and postnatal eye development are compared between humans and nonclinical species that are commonly used for human safety assessment, namely, mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, minipig, and nonhuman primates. Some new data on rat and minipig ocular development are also included. This compiled information can be helpful for species selection in juvenile toxicity studies or assist in the interpretation of (non)clinical data during pediatric drug development. Despite some differences in developmental windows and anatomical peculiarities, such as the lack of a fovea centralis in nonprimate species or the presence of a nictitating membrane in some nonclinical species, the functioning and development of the eye is strikingly similar between humans and other mammals. As such, all commonly used nonclinical species appear to be relatively good models for human eye development, although some practical constraints such as size may be a limiting factor. Birth Defects Research 109:1540-1567, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
