Vision Loss News and Research

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Desipramine and L-cycloserine together reduce ceramide levels in the retina and enhance vision

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have discovered that the absence of Adiponectin receptor 1 protein (AdipoR1), one of the principal enzymes regulating ceramide homeostasis in the retina, leads to an accumulation of ceramides in the retina, resulting in progressive photoreceptor cell death and ultimately vision loss.

28 Jan 2022

NIH study provides a framework to evaluate Stargardt disease progression

National Eye Institute researchers developed and validated an artificial-intelligence-based method to evaluate patients with Stargardt, an eye disease that can lead to childhood vision loss.

25 Jan 2022

New report reveals the alarming global impact of Group B streptococcus

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) reveals the alarming global impact of Group B streptococcus (GBS) – a common bacterium that can be transmitted in the womb, during birth, or in the early weeks of life – leading to around 150,000 deaths of babies each year, more than half a million preterm births and significant long-term disability.

20 Jan 2022

Study finds improved survival rates for extremely preterm infants born in NIH-funded research network

The survival rate of extremely preterm infants born from 2013 through 2018 in a large network of U.S. research centers improved to 78.3%, compared to 76% for infants born in the network from 2008 to 2012, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.

18 Jan 2022

Study: Nearly 30% of people with blinding retinal disease can safely stop eye injection therapy

In a preliminary study of 106 people with "wet" age-related macular degeneration, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that as many as a third of those with the blinding retinal disease may someday be able to safely stop eye injection therapy without further vision loss.

18 Jan 2022

Young children’s mobility, motor skills linked with good vision and eye health

Toddler and young children’s mobility and motor skills – and preschool development – are closely aligned with good vision and eye health.

13 Jan 2022

First patient-derived stem cell model developed for studying oculocutaneous albinism

Researchers at the National Eye Institute have developed the first patient-derived stem cell model for studying eye conditions related to oculocutaneous albinism (OCA).

11 Jan 2022

WVU receives funding from National Eye Institute for retinal degeneration research

Inherited retinal degeneration can make even the most mundane tasks - like cooking, driving and walking down the sidewalk - difficult or impossible, and it can't be cured.

6 Jan 2022

Researchers develop acoustic virtual reality-based archery game for blind people

Researchers at the IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia developed an acoustic virtual reality-based archery game, enabling blind people to experience for the first time this type of technology, which is typically focused on vision.

4 Jan 2022

Researchers uncover production mechanism of protein crucial for vision

Every 6 minutes someone is told they're going blind. One of the major causes of human blindness is a disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which causes progressive degeneration of the retina and vision loss.

18 Dec 2021

University of Birmingham launches 5 new major studies focused on management of type 1 diabetes

The University of Birmingham today announces the launch of five new major studies aimed at improving the prevention, treatment and management of type 1 diabetes – with a particular focus on children and young adults.

17 Dec 2021

Researchers identify two new AMD drug candidates using a stem-cell-derived model

Using a stem-cell-derived model, researchers have identified two drug candidates that may slow dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness for which no treatment exists.

15 Dec 2021

Gene therapy and diabetes drug may be treatments for late-onset retinal degeneration

Scientists have discovered that gene therapy and the diabetes drug metformin may be potential treatments for late-onset retinal degeneration (L-ORD), a rare, blinding eye disease.

9 Dec 2021

NEI researchers identify unique population of B cells that tamps down the immune system

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have identified, isolated, and characterized a unique population of B cells that tamps down the immune system, reducing chronic inflammation.

2 Dec 2021

Pandemic lockdown created mental and emotional issues for older adults with sensory impairment

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many assisted living and senior center facilities were forced to close their doors to outside visitors to limit potential exposure to the virus.

1 Dec 2021

Retinoid therapy improves vision in mice with Usher syndrome

Using data generated from patients and mice with genetic mutation for the disorder Usher syndrome, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute, and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, documented the natural history of vision impairment in patients and identified the cell mechanism behind progressive vision loss.

9 Nov 2021

New findings can help identify people at increased risk of hydroxychloroquine-related retinopathy

New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting, shows that higher doses, longer duration of use, chronic kidney disease and Asian race could all be independent risk factors for retinopathy in people using hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug commonly used to treat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.

1 Nov 2021

New project investigates stem cell therapy as a potential treatment for glaucoma

Oregon Health & Science University is part of a national research project investigating stem cell therapy as a potential treatment for glaucoma, the world's second leading cause of blindness.

29 Oct 2021

Albert Einstein College of Medicine wins new NIH funding to support diabetes research

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has received a five-year, $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support the New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research (NY-CDTR).

20 Oct 2021

Researchers identify new gene variants that may cause inherited retinal dystrophies

An international team of researchers, led by scientists at University of California San Diego and Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health, has broadened and deepened understanding of how inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) affect different populations of people and, in the process, have identified new gene variants that may cause the diseases.