In a news release that I found on the net, I learned that the FFB was going to put $8.25 million into six gene therapy projects, either already underway or about to start. The release contains good information about several projects that I knew about, …
Month: October 2011
Flaxseed Oil Supplements May Help Dry Eyes
Researchers say high omega-3 content of flaxseed oil improves symptoms of dry eyes. WebMD Health News
Mayo Clinic, Oxford BioMedica collaborate to develop gene therapy for glaucoma
Oxford BioMedica plc, the leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company, today announces that it has entered into a research and development collaboration with Mayo Clinic, Rochester (USA) to develop a novel gene therapy for the treatment of chronic gla…
Neutralization approach appears to prevent proliferative vitreoretinopathy
Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), or the formation of scar tissue within the eye, is a serious, sight-threatening complication in patients recovering surgical repair of retinal detachment. A new study conducted by investigators at the Schepens Eye…
Eye-Surgery Robot Developed to Operate With Higher Precision
A new smart eye-surgery robot has been developed by researcher Thijs Meenink at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands. The Eye-RHAS (Robot For Haptically Assisted Surgery) will make it possible to operate on the retina and the …
"Home Smoking Bans Among U.S. Households with Children and Smokers" and "Association Between Smokefree Laws and Voluntary Smokefree-Home Rules"
Fast High Precision Eye-Surgery Robot Developed At Eindhoven University
Researcher Thijs Meenink at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has developed a smart eye-surgery robot that allows eye surgeons to operate with increased ease and greater precision on the retina and the vitreous humor of the eye. The system also…
TU/e researcher develops smart eye-surgery robot
Researcher Thijs Meenink at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has developed a smart eye-surgery robot that allows eye surgeons to operate with increased ease and greater precision on the retina and the vitreous humor of the eye.
Stem Cells in Ophthalmology Update 11: Catheter Delivered Stem Cells to Treat Geographic Atrophy in Dry AMD
Selected Reviews of AAO 2011 Retina SubSpecialty Day PresentationsFrom afar (my home), I reviewed the program for the Retina SubSpecialty Program and decided to write about several of the presentations on the program. I was able to obtain a copy of the…
Big Medicare Pay Cut Would Shut Physician Doors to Patients
One in 2 group practices say they will reduce appointment slots for new Medicare patients if a 29.5% pay cut takes effect January 1. Almost 1 in 3 would turn away all new Medicare patients. Medscape Medical News
Mood, Cognition And Sleep Patterns Improve In Alzheimer’s Patients After Cataract Surgery
Researchers at Tenon Hospital, Paris, France, found that patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease whose vision improved after cataract surgery also showed improvement in cognitive ability, mood, sleep patterns and other behaviors. Lead researcher Brigit…
Video Games as New Treatment for Amblyopia in Older Children
We earlier reported that video games could improve the vision of adults with amblyopia. Now a new study in a population consisting of children aged 10 to 18 has found that the combination of video games and standard amblyopia treatment has a better e…
New Study Links Active Lifestyle To Reduced Risk Of Glaucoma
Physical activity may be what the doctor orders to help patients reduce their risk of developing glaucoma. According to a recently published scientific paper, higher levels of physical exercise appear to have a long-term beneficial impact on low ocular…
Scientific Study May Improve Glaucoma Assessment And Treatment
Results from a recent scientific study in the U.K. may change the way that healthcare professionals measure eye pressure and allow them to assess the risk of glaucoma with greater accuracy. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of irreversible loss …
Discovery Of Genetic Mutation Associated With High Risk Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe visual loss among the elderly. Researchers had previously identified several relatively common genetic variants which together predict a person’s increased risk for AMD, but a signif…
Cataract Surgery Helps Patients With Alzheimer Disease
Cataract surgery improves visual acuity, cognitive performance, sleep, and depression in patients with moderate Alzheimer disease. Medscape Medical News
Length Of Time Outdoors Linked To Kids’ Lower Nearsightedness Risk
The longer children and adolescents spend outdoors the lower their risk is of developing myopia (nearsightedness), researchers from the University of Cambridge, England reported at the 115th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Orla…
Treating Corneal Disease With Vitamin B-Based Medication May Offer Some Patients A Permanent Solution
Patients in the United States who have the cornea-damaging disease keratoconus may soon be able to benefit from a new treatment that is already proving effective in Europe and other parts of the world. The treatment, called collagen crosslinking, impro…
Ophthalmologist Discovers Possible Side Effect In Macular Degeneration Drug
Two major drug trials conclude there was little risk from a drug aimed at age-related macular degeneration. Yet a Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist began to note something concerning in some of her patients: an increase in pressure inside the eye. It led to …
Retinopathy Prevalence Decreasing in Diabetic Adolescents
The value of insulin management as a modulator of diabetes-related vision morbidity has been confirmed over time for patients with type 1 diabetes. Medscape Medical News