A study in mice reveals an elegant circuit within the developing visual system that helps dictate how the eyes connect to the brain. The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has implications for treating amblyopia, a vision disorder t…
Author: Medical News Today
Impaired autophagy associated with age-related macular degeneration
A new study published in the prestigious PLoS One journal changes our understanding of the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers found that degenerative changes and loss of vision are caused by impaired function of the…
Time-release coating allows drug for macular degeneration to last longer
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineers have teamed up with clinicians to create a new drug-delivery strategy for a type of central vision loss caused by blood vessel growth at the back of the eye, where such growth should not occur. In addition to testing…
Health Canada approves JETREA® for the treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion
ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), an integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative ophthalmic medicines, has announced that Health Canada has approved JETREA(R) (ocriplasmin) for the treatment of sym…
Topical formulation identified for prolonged graft survival in corneal transplants
Argos Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies that modulate the immune system to treat cancer, infectious diseases, transplant rejection, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, has ann…
Critical role discovered for the complement system in early macular degeneration
In a study published on line in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, Drs…
Omega-3 rich oils improve membrane fluidity in retina cells and can help fight age-related eye diseases
Scientists working at the Research Center on Aging at the Health and Social Services Centre – University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke (CSSS-IUGS) have been studying strategies for protecting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells…
Good news for people who lose their foveal vision due to macular diseases
When something gets in the way of our ability to see, we quickly pick up a new way to look, in much the same way that we would learn to ride a bike, according to a new study published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology. Our eyes are constantly o…
Portable eye clinic in a smartphone
A portable eye testing kit based on a smartphone that could revolutionize eye care in the world’s poorest nations is being tested in Africa by UK researchers…
The blood vessels of the retina can reveal stroke risk
Your eyes may be a window to your stroke risk. In a study reported in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, researchers said retinal imaging may someday help assess if you’re more likely to develop a stroke – the nation’s No. 4 killer an…
Eye expert urges people to take a contact lens break while on holiday
A leading eye expert based at Southampton’s university hospitals is urging people to take a break from contact lenses while on holiday to cut the risk of developing sight-threatening infections…
Essential gene regulator for healthy retinal development and good vision in adulthood
Scientists are developing a clearer picture of how visual systems develop in mammals. The findings offer important clues to the origin of retinal disorders later in life…
Study finds significantly higher prevalence of glaucoma in people with sleep apnea
Researchers in Taiwan have discovered that people with sleep apnea are far more likely to develop glaucoma compared to those without the sleep condition…
Cell replacement treatment of retinopathy: Novel and alternative stem cell source
Damage or loss of photoreceptor cells is one of main culprits of visual impairment in many retinal degenerative diseases. Pharmacological treatment and surgical intervention are traditionally used to treat these retinal diseases, but they are not curat…
The global atlas of trachoma: an important tool in the fight against infectious blindness
An estimated 129.4 million people live in areas of Africa where blinding trachoma is confirmed to occur, according to a paper publishing August 8 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The distribution of the disease varies greatly across the continent, …
Making connections in the eye: Wiring diagram of retinal neurons is first step toward mapping the human brain
The human brain has 100 billion neurons, connected to each other in networks that allow us to interpret the world around us, plan for the future, and control our actions and movements. MIT neuroscientist Sebastian Seung wants to map those networks, cre…
Study of aquaporins could hold clues to cataract
Researchers have achieved dynamic, atomic-scale views of a protein needed to maintain the transparency of the lens in the human eye. The work, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, could lead to new insights and drugs for treating catara…
Potential cure for eye disease inspired by mechanism that allows bacteria to infect plants
By borrowing a tool from bacteria that infect plants, scientists have developed a new approach to eliminate mutated DNA inside mitochondria – the energy factories within cells. Doctors might someday use the approach to treat a variety of mitochondrial …
Locked-in patients can answer questions with the pupils of their eyes
Patients who are otherwise completely unable to communicate can answer yes or no questions within seconds with the help of a simple system – consisting of just a laptop and camera – that measures nothing but the size of their pupils…
Cataract prevention hope from new close-up view of protein
Researchers have discovered atomic-scale views of an eye protein that maintains transparency of the lens in the human eye, which could potentially lead to new ways of treating and preventing cataracts…