Vision Loss News and Research

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$Uncorrected refractive error responsible for vision impairment in 101 million people worldwide$

Uncorrected refractive error responsible for vision impairment in 101 million people worldwide

Uncorrected refractive error (URE)--nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other focusing problems correctable by prescription lenses--is responsible for moderate to severe vision impairment in 101 million people and blindness in seven million people worldwide, reports a study in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

27 Feb 2016

New treatment for adults with lazy eye one step closer to reality

A new treatment for adults with lazy eye, a condition previously thought to be treatable only in childhood, is one step closer as a result of research from the University of Waterloo in Canada and Sun Yat-sen University in China.

23 Feb 2016

Study finds that half the world's population to be short-sighted by 2050

Half the world's population (nearly 5 billion) will be short-sighted (myopic) by 2050, with up to one-fifth of them (1 billion) at a significantly increased risk of blindness if current trends continue, says a study published in the journal Ophthalmology.

18 Feb 2016

IRIDEX's Cyclo G6 laser system receives CE Mark approval for treatment of glaucoma

IRIDEX Corporation, a leading global provider of innovative laser systems, delivery devices and consumables in ophthalmology, today announced that it has received its CE Mark to commercialize across Europe its first laser system in its class designed solely for use in treating glaucoma and its symptoms.

16 Feb 2016

NAU researcher calls for greater public awareness of cytomegalovirus

As the Zika virus continues to spread across the globe, and gain worldwide attention for its' potential birth defects, an NAU researcher is calling for greater public awareness of cytomegalovirus—the most common viral cause of birth defects in the United States.

16 Feb 2016

Apps that test visual function at home can identify vision problems long before traditional tests

Apps that test visual function at home can discover deterioration of the eye's macula lutea long before traditional vision tests. A doctoral thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy explored this issue.

11 Feb 2016

Taste deficits appear to be more prevalent in MS patients

Taste deficits appear to be more prevalent among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients than previously reported and correlate with brain lesions left by the debilitating disease, a new study from the University of Pennsylvania's Smell and Taste Center and the department of Radiology found.

9 Feb 2016

CUMC, Iowa scientists use CRISPR to repair genetic mutation responsible for retinitis pigmentosa

Columbia University Medical Center and University of Iowa scientists have used a new gene-editing technology called CRISPR, to repair a genetic mutation responsible for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited condition that causes the retina to degrade and leads to blindness in at least 1.5 million cases worldwide.

28 Jan 2016

Age-related macular degeneration: an interview with Cathy Yelf, Macular Society

Age-related macular degeneration is a condition of the macula, a tiny area of the retina at the back of the eye. Your macula is only about the size of the grain of rice, that’s about four millimeters across.

19 Jan 2016

First patient enrolled in ThromboGenics' Phase II CIRCLE study of ocriplasmin in NPDR patients

ThromboGenics NV, an integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for diabetic eye disease, today announces that the first patient has been enrolled in its Phase II CIRCLE study evaluating the efficacy and safety of multiple doses of ocriplasmin in inducing total posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

13 Jan 2016

NIH-funded analysis identifies three genes that contribute to most common form of glaucoma

An analysis funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has identified three genes that contribute to the most common type of glaucoma. The study increases the total number of such genes to 15.

12 Jan 2016

New studies provide insights into impact of vision loss among survivors of childhood cancers

Little is known about the long-term health of survivors of childhood cancers that affect vision, but two new studies provide valuable insights that could impact patient care and follow-up. The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

12 Jan 2016

New gene editing technique could hinder retinal degeneration in rats with inherited blindness

A new technique that has the potential to treat inherited diseases by removing genetic defects has been shown for the first time to hinder retinal degeneration in rats with a type of inherited blindness, according to a Cedars-Sinai study.

11 Jan 2016

Ultrafast near-infrared lasers deliver gene therapy to treat macular degeneration

Millions of adults over age 50 struggle each year with vision loss caused by damage to the retina or common macular degeneration.

24 Dec 2015

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

An international study of about 43,000 people has significantly expanded the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists identify 52 genetic variations associated with age-related macular degeneration

In one of the latest examples of precision medicine, teams of geneticists from nine countries, involving more than 100 scientists, analyzed the genes of more than 33,000 individuals in the hope of finding genetic variations responsible for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 or older.

22 Dec 2015

Bio Light's IOPtiMate system approved in Canada for treatment of glaucoma

Bio Light Israeli Life Sciences Investments Ltd., an emerging global ophthalmic company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of products and product candidates which address ophthalmic conditions, announced today that its IOPtiMate system for the treatment of glaucoma has been approved by the Canadian Medical Devices Bureau, allowing the Company to commercialize the surgical system in Canada.

21 Dec 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers develop method to turn stem cells into retinal ganglion cells

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a method to efficiently turn human stem cells into retinal ganglion cells, the type of nerve cells located within the retina that transmit visual signals from the eye to the brain. Death and dysfunction of these cells cause vision loss in conditions like glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.

1 Dec 2015

Purdue researchers develop products and processes to improve detection, treatment of diabetes

Food gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas require rigorous management by people affected by diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, is the result of the breakdown of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes can be the result of a combination of obesity, high caloric intake and a sedentary lifestyle.

26 Nov 2015

New study reveals better treatment options for proliferative diabetic retinopathy

This National Diabetes Month, there is some good news for people with eye complications from diabetes. Earlier this month, a network of researchers supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI) found that the drug Lucentis (ranibizumab) can be highly effective for treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that can occur as a complication of diabetes.

20 Nov 2015