Blindness News and Research

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Blind individual drives street vehicle independently

The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the nation, announced today that for the first time a blind individual has driven a street vehicle in public without the assistance of a sighted person.

30 Jan 2011

Scientist receives grant for research on parasitic diseases through African biodiversity medicines

McGill University and McGill University scientist Dr. Timothy Geary received a $1-million grant today for landmark research into addressing parasitic diseases through medicines derived from African biodiversity.

25 Jan 2011

Raptor completes enrollment in DR Cysteamine Phase 3 clinical trial in cystinosis

Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp., today announced it has completed enrollment in its Phase 3 clinical trial of its proprietary delayed-release oral formulation of cysteamine bitartrate ("DR Cysteamine") in patients with nephropathic cystinosis ("cystinosis").

24 Jan 2011

Psychological Science journal releases new research findings

The insula has been implicated in evaluative and affective processes. New findings indicate that the insula may be broadly involved in integrating affective and cognitive processes. Participants rated the positivity and negativity of picture stimuli and how emotionally arousing they found the pictures to be.

24 Jan 2011

Functional tests are necessary to understand human disease despite genetic sequencing

Despite what you might have heard, genetic sequencing alone is not enough to understand human disease. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have shown that functional tests are absolutely necessary to understand the biological relevance of the results of sequencing studies as they relate to disease, using a suite of diseases known as the ciliopathies which can cause patients to have many different traits.

24 Jan 2011

AER changes journal name to Insight: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness

With its mission of providing insight into issues surrounding blindness, the journal of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) will now express that vision in its name. Insight: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness has been the journal's new title as of January 1, 2011.

20 Jan 2011

Meganucleases used to prevent HSV-1 infection

Cellectis, announced today that scientists from Cellectis therapeutics, the French National Center For Medical Research (CNRS) and Institut de la Vision (Paris) have used its proprietary meganucleases to successfully prevent infection of cultured cells by a Herpes Simplex virus (HSV-1).

19 Jan 2011

Regeneron, Bayer and SERI initiate new VEGF Trap-Eye Phase 3 clinical trial in myopic CNV

Regeneron and Bayer HealthCare announced initiation of a new Phase 3 clinical trial in collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute investigating the efficacy and safety of VEGF Trap-Eye (aflibercept ophthalmic solution) in patients with choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) of the retina as a result of pathologic myopia.

18 Jan 2011

Antibiotic treatment may be sufficient to overcome River Blindness

The team found that a bacterium inside the worm acts as a 'disguise' for the parasite, resulting in the immune system reacting to it in an ineffective way. The bacteria protect the worm from the body's natural defences, but once the bacteria are removed with antibiotics, the immune system responds appropriately, releasing cells, called eosinophils, that kill the worm.

13 Jan 2011

VisionCare announces closing of $31 million Series E financing

VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices designed to improve vision in patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), announced today it has closed a Series E financing totaling $31 million.

10 Jan 2011

Scientists perform surgery on single cell to extract and examine mitochondria

Medical researchers who crave a means of exploring the genetic culprits behind a host of neuromuscular disorders may have just had their wish granted by a team working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where scientists have performed surgery on single cells to extract and examine their mitochondria.

7 Jan 2011

Regular eye exams are critical to prevent glaucoma

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, may strike without symptoms, is not preventable, but it is treatable. During National Glaucoma Awareness Month, The Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) urges regular eye exams because early detection and treatment is critical to maintain healthy vision and protect the eyes from the effects of glaucoma and other potentially blinding diseases.

6 Jan 2011

Alkeus and Columbia University enter license agreement for potential therapies for dry-AMD, Stargardt disease

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals and Columbia University announced today that they have entered into a license agreement for a set of potential therapies for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (dry-AMD), Stargardt disease, and other degenerative diseases of the eye. Left untreated, these conditions often lead to impaired vision and even blindness.

5 Jan 2011

Researchers develop new hand-held instrument for glaucoma screening

A new hand-held instrument involving a system of micro-force sensors, specially designed microchips, and math-based programmed procedures has been designed by researchers at the UA College of Engineering. The easy-to-use probe gently rubs the eyelid and can be used at home, threatening to replace painful eye drops and the need for a sterilized sensor.

5 Jan 2011

Get examined during Glaucoma Awareness Month

It happens slowly. Over time, a person's vision will get worse. Until one day, that person can no longer see. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and worldwide. Unfortunately, there is no cure. Once a person's vision is lost, it cannot be regained. That is why Dr. Bizer's VisionWorld is encouraging people to get an examination during Glaucoma Awareness Month.

5 Jan 2011

PanOptica completes $30 million Series A financing

PanOptica, Inc., a private biopharmaceutical company focused on licensing and developing innovative ophthalmology therapies, today announced that it has raised $30 million in a Series A financing. This round was led by SV Life Sciences and Third Rock Ventures.

4 Jan 2011

Researchers identify new biological pathway that contribute to glaucoma

In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute and four collaborating institutions, identified a new and unexpected biological pathway that appears to contribute to the development of glaucoma and its resulting vision loss.

4 Jan 2011

FDA clears ACT's IND to treat AMD using hESC derived RPE cells

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application to treat Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

3 Jan 2011

NEI awards Case Western Reserve $10M for study of retinal diseases

The Departments of Pharmacology and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have been awarded a $10.1 million grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to research and develop new treatments for diseases of the retina, a leading cause of blindness.

29 Dec 2010

Santen files IND for Clinical Data's ATL313 for primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension

Clinical Data, Inc., today announced that Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Clinical Data's highly selective adenosine A2A agonist, ATL313, for the indication of primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

From Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 23 Dec 2010

Blindness News and Research

Blind individual drives street vehicle independently

Scientist receives grant for research on parasitic diseases through African biodiversity medicines

Raptor completes enrollment in DR Cysteamine Phase 3 clinical trial in cystinosis

Psychological Science journal releases new research findings

Functional tests are necessary to understand human disease despite genetic sequencing

AER changes journal name to Insight: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness

Meganucleases used to prevent HSV-1 infection

Regeneron, Bayer and SERI initiate new VEGF Trap-Eye Phase 3 clinical trial in myopic CNV

Antibiotic treatment may be sufficient to overcome River Blindness

VisionCare announces closing of $31 million Series E financing

Scientists perform surgery on single cell to extract and examine mitochondria

Regular eye exams are critical to prevent glaucoma

Alkeus and Columbia University enter license agreement for potential therapies for dry-AMD, Stargardt disease

Researchers develop new hand-held instrument for glaucoma screening

Get examined during Glaucoma Awareness Month

PanOptica completes $30 million Series A financing

Researchers identify new biological pathway that contribute to glaucoma

FDA clears ACT's IND to treat AMD using hESC derived RPE cells

NEI awards Case Western Reserve $10M for study of retinal diseases

Santen files IND for Clinical Data's ATL313 for primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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