Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. announced today that it filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase I/II multicenter study using embryonic stem cell derived retinal cells to treat patients with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD). Among the most common causes of untreatable blindness in the world are degenerative diseases of the retina. [More]

International Stem Cell Corporation, announced today that it is collaborating with renowned stem cell researcher Jeanne F. Loring, Ph.D., and the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA) to study parthenogenetic stem cells and potentially therapeutic cells that can be derived from them. [More]

SoloHealth (www.solo-health.com), maker of EyeSite™ self-service vision testing and self-directed healthcare kiosks, has teamed with Atlanta area Kroger stores to promote eye health awareness and to encourage regular eye exams. [More]

MD Alliance International strongly urges all smokers to participate in the Great American Smokeout on November 19 to save their eyes and protect their vision from the debilitating effects of macular degeneration. [More]

Determining what triggers the death of retinal cells, called photoreceptors, could hold the key to stopping blinding disorders caused by a wide range of eye diseases, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the November journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. [More]

Novadaq® Technologies Inc., a developer of real-time imaging systems for use in the operating room, today announced 2009 third quarter revenues of $1,723,000 compared to revenue of $3,311,000 in third quarter 2008. In accordance with corporate policy, a previously reported order in excess of $2,000,000 has not been recorded in sales due to cash not yet received. [More]

As competition in the pharmaceutical marketplace grows, companies are increasingly looking towards the drug delivery industry to maximize revenues and combat generic competitors. The search for more efficient drug delivery systems is also being driven by the rise in patient demand, healthcare and pharma cost containment, as much as by medical and technological advances. [More]

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Ophthalmology and Optometry Macular Degeneration [More]

Carotenoids-fat-soluble plant compounds found in some vegetables-are essential to the human diet and reportedly offer important health benefits to consumers. Plant carotenoids are the most important source of vitamin A in the human diet; the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, found in corn and leafy greens vegetable such as kale, broccoli, and spinach, are widely considered to be valuable antioxidants capable of protecting humans from chronic diseases including age-related macular degeneration, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. [More]

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that when the eye is missing a diffusible form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. one that when secreted can reach other cells at a distance, the retina shows defects similar to "dry" macular degeneration, also called geographic atrophy (GA). [More]

Marking a significant bench to bedside research milestone in Singapore, the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, and the National University Hospital (NUH) launched the IBN iCare and the NUH Eye Centre @ Biopolis at an official opening ceremony officiated by the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education, S. Iswaran, at the Biopolis on Nov. 3, 2009. [More]

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that when the eye is missing a diffusible form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. one that when secreted can reach other cells at a distance, the retina shows defects similar to "dry" macular degeneration, also called geographic atrophy (GA). [More]

This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) reports on a national study that finds cataract surgery is likely to benefit patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at all stages of the disease, on a clinical trial showing that the steroid triamcinolone may be effective in advanced diabetic macular edema (DME) patients when standard treatment fails, and on the public's use of two Academy-sponsored online eye health forums. [More]

Physician-researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) received a nearly $16 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to fund the development of a stem cell-based treatment for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among the elderly. [More]

Physician-researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) received a nearly $16 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to fund the development of a stem cell-based treatment for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among the elderly. [More]