Ophthalmology News and Research

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Ophthalmology is the specialized field of medicine that focuses on the health of the eye. It includes the anatomy, physiology and diseases that may affect the eye. Historically, the science of ophthalmology encompassed all aspects of visual function, both in health and in illness. Additionally, ophthalmology also includes animal eyes as ocular function and optic diseases are similar among humans and animals.

New eye drop formulation shows promise for dry eye disease

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Okayama University in Japan have developed and tested in mice a promising new eye drop formulation for treating dry eye disease.

21 May 2026

Diverse AI foundation models transform universal eye care imaging

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already changed many aspects of medical imaging, but traditional ophthalmic AI systems are often built for a single disease, dataset, or task.

20 May 2026

Researchers uncover sex-specific metabolic patterns in ocular tissues

As a highly differentiated sensory organ, the maintenance of the eye's physiological functions relies on rigorous metabolic regulation.

11 May 2026

Study identifies genetic cause linked to juvenile glaucoma risk

A major international study led by Flinders University has identified a genetic contributor to juvenile glaucoma.

7 May 2026

Manuka honey eye drops outperform artificial tears for dry eye relief

A clinical study reveals Manuka honey eye drops significantly improve dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery, outperforming traditional treatments.

1 May 2026

A new biological switch to slow atherosclerosis progression

A study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions reveals a previously unrecognized way blood vessels can protect themselves from damage and slow the development of atherosclerosis. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, have implications for both vascular precision medicine and the safety of certain emerging cancer treatments.

28 Apr 2026

Astrocytes form complex networks across the mouse brain

Cells long thought to play a secondary role in brain function build their own far-reaching connections, a new study in mice showed. These pathways appear to connect distant regions in ways that have not been mapped before.

23 Apr 2026

Study finds popular AI chatbots often give problematic health advice

Researchers audited five popular public-facing AI chatbots across 250 health prompts and found that 49.6% of responses were problematic, with especially weak performance on open-ended questions and in nutrition and athletic performance. The study also found poor citation quality, difficult readability, and very few refusals to answer, raising concerns about the reliability of chatbots for everyday health information.

16 Apr 2026

Retinal organoid study identifies pathways and compounds to protect cone cells

Scientists led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) and collaborators have identified genetic pathways and compounds capable of protecting cone photoreceptors from the degeneration that underlies conditions like age-related macular degeneration.

30 Mar 2026

Repurposed cancer drug shows promise against drug-resistant herpes infections

UIC researchers have successfully repurposed an FDA-approved cancer drug, doxorubicin, to treat drug-resistant strains of herpes. Their work appears in the journal Drug Resistance Updates.

24 Mar 2026

Photoreceptor cells can recover from early stages of cell death

Photoreceptors are specialized cells in the eye that convert light energy into neural signals.

11 Mar 2026

Wegovy linked to higher risk of eye stroke and vision loss

Wegovy, a GLP-1 agonist for weight loss, may carry the highest risk of 'eye stroke' (ischemic optic neuropathy) and sudden sight loss of the semaglutide drugs, finds an analysis of unintended side effect reports published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

10 Mar 2026

Enzyme helps maintain retinal progenitor cells during eye development

The retina is a thin layer of neural tissue at the back of the eye that detects light and converts it into signals, sent to the brain.

9 Mar 2026

Eye movement testing reveals long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injury

A study from researchers at the CU Anschutz Marcus Institute for Brain Health suggests that veterans with concussions may continue to show subtle but measurable brain function differences more than a decade after their injury.

2 Mar 2026

Axol Bioscience acquires ophthalmology business from Newcells Biotech

Axol Bioscience Ltd. (Axol), a leading provider of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies for drug discovery and research, today announced that it has acquired the ophthalmology business of Newcells Biotech (Newcells), a leading drug discovery partner specializing in the development of in vitro models and bespoke assay services.

18 Feb 2026

Study examines the relationship between leukocyte telomere length and age-related cataract

Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness worldwide among adults over 50, despite major advances in surgical treatment.

12 Feb 2026

Switching lens designs may enhance long-term myopia control

Myopia has become a major global public health concern, with rising prevalence and earlier onset among children worldwide.

12 Feb 2026

Weight loss drug tirzepatide may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy

The popular diabetes and weight loss medication tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro or Zepbound) may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss, according to Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

11 Feb 2026

Posture-induced retinal vascular response predicts diabetic retinopathy progression

Diabetic retinopathy develops through complex microvascular damage driven by chronic hyperglycemia, yet traditional risk factors such as disease duration or glycemic control explain only part of individual risk.

11 Feb 2026

Addiction consults improve care for drug-related eye infections

Eric Gaier, MD, PhD, and Dean Eliott, MD, of the Department of Ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, are co-authors of a paper published in Ophthalmology Retina, "Substance Use Disorder Interventions and Ophthalmic Outcomes for Injection Drug Use-Associated Endogenous Endophthalmitis."

10 Feb 2026