Until recently, researchers could mainly observe the eye cornea through a close microscope contact with living, or dead cells.
Author: The Medical News
Gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in glaucoma mouse models
A form of gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in mouse models of glaucoma, according to research supported by NIH’s National Eye Institute.
UTHSC announces an increase in research grant and contract awards for FY21
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Office of Research announced that annual research grant and contract awards for FY21, which ended June 30, total more than $121 million, a 20.6% increase from last year.
Patient’s case report reveals link between Bell’s palsy and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
The case of a patient who experienced two facial palsies – one after the first and another after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – strongly suggests that Bell’s palsy (facial nerve palsy of unknown cause) is linked to the Pfizer…
Antihypertension drug may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2
New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear indicates that the blood pressure drug losartan may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a hereditary condition associated with vestibula…
More progress with promising new genetic test for glaucoma
The latest investigation into a promising new genetic test for glaucoma – the leading cause of blindness worldwide – has found it has the ability to identify 15 times more people at high risk of glaucoma than an existing genetic test.
Structure-guided T cell vaccine design could offer broad protection SARS-CoV-2 variants
Gaurav Gaiha, MD, DPhil, a member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, studies HIV, one of the fastest-mutating viruses known to humankind.
Connective tissue protein promotes immune responses that fight bacterial infections
A connective tissue protein known to support the framework of organs also encourages immune responses that fight bacterial infections, while restraining responses that can be deadly in the condition called sepsis, a new study finds.
Study focuses on retinal roughness in Alzheimer’s disease
Over recent years, the retina has established its position as one of the most promising biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
Racket sport padel related to increased risk of eye injuries
Several eye clinics around Sweden are seeing a rise in eye damage related to the racket sport padel. In an article in the Journal of the Swedish Medical Association (Läkartidningen), eye researchers affiliated with the University of Gothenburg state th…
New method uses swabs from smartphone screens to accurately detect COVID-19
An accurate, non-invasive, and low-cost method of testing for COVID-19 using samples taken from the screens of mobile phones has been developed by a team led by UCL researchers at Diagnosis Biotech.
Precision medicine may lead to more effective treatments for ocular conditions
The most practical solution for drug delivery to the eyeball is topical, i.e. eye drops. However, a naturally occurring substance in tears actually can interact with the drug delivery system (DDS), hindering absorption of the drug and preventing it fro…
New eye surface reconstruction method using mussel adhesive protein
The eye is the first sensory organ that recognizes the presence or shape of an object. The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that covers the front half of the eyeball.
AI could predict treatment demand for chronic eye diseases
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in people over 50. Up to 12 percent of those over 80 have the chronic disease.
International coalition develops classification criteria for 25 subtypes of uveitis
An international coalition of eye researchers used machine learning to develop classification criteria for 25 of the most common types of uveitis, a collection of over 30 diseases characterized by inflammation inside the eye.
High caffeine intake may increase the risk of glaucoma, finds study
Consuming large amounts of daily caffeine may increase the risk of glaucoma more than three-fold for those with a genetic predisposition to higher eye pressure according to an international, multi-center study.
Odor-based test could serve as a non-invasive approach to screen for harder-to-detect cancers
An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples was able to distinguish between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells with up to 95 percent accuracy, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsyl…
Study can help determine which diabetic individuals can donate corneas for keratoplasty
About a third of the corneal transplant surgeries in the United States involve people with diabetes who donate their corneas after death.
Retinal scans may provide an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease
While it has been said that the eyes are a window to the soul, a new study shows they could be a means for understanding diseases of the brain.
New technique can help to non-invasively assess progression of sickle cell retinopathy
Ophthalmologists at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai have created a new technique to evaluate patients with sickle cell retinopathy and assess the disease before it progresses and leads to permanent vision loss.