Blindness News and Research

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First U.S. patient treated with innovative gene therapy at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

A Puerto Rican patient with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is hoping to save his vision after an innovative gene therapy procedure at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

19 Sep 2018

Promising gene therapy for 'day blind' sheep now safe for clinical trials in human patients

Back in 2009, a group of Israeli researchers identified a herd of Awassi sheep suffering from "day blindness". As its name implies, these sheep were blind during the day (in bright light) but could see at night, in low-light conditions.

17 Sep 2018

Study: aPKC inhibitors may provide new therapeutic option for blinding eye diseases

Many eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, exhibit increased permeability of blood vessels in the macular (central) portion of the retina leading to abnormal fluid accumulation and vision loss.

14 Sep 2018

Gene therapy for rare genetic blindness wins prestigious Champalimaud Vision award

A team of seven researchers collaborating from United States and Britain have found a way to use gene therapy to cure a rare form of childhood blindness that occurs due to a genetic predisposition.

5 Sep 2018

Brain’s attention network plays key role in vision restoration after stroke, trauma

About one third of patients who have suffered a stroke end up with low vision, losing up to half of their visual field. This partial blindness was long considered irreversible, but recent studies have shown that vision training after optic nerve and brain damage can help restore or improve vision. A new study published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology reports on key mechanisms of vision restoration: attention.

4 Sep 2018

Millions of people do not receive NHS Health Check that helps spot diabetes

Recent analysis from Diabetes UK shows that less than half of over 40s eligible for an NHS Health Check in the last five years have actually received one.

31 Aug 2018

EC grants marketing authorization for ONPATTRO (patisiran) in Europe

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for ONPATTRO (patisiran) for the treatment of hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis in adults with stage 1 or stage 2 polyneuropathy.

30 Aug 2018

New system that uses AI accurately detects patients with diabetic retinopathy

A system designed by a University of Iowa ophthalmologist that uses artificial intelligence to detect diabetic retinopathy without a person interpreting the results earned Food and Drug Administration authorization in April, following a clinical trial in primary care offices.

28 Aug 2018

Ocular Syphilis study finds increasing numbers of people at risk for permanent vision damage

A new study into recent cases of Ocular Syphilis warns increasing numbers of people in developed countries are at risk of permanent damage to their vision, even with adequate treatment.

28 Aug 2018

Scientists develop urine diagnostic to detect parasitic worms that cause river blindness

Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a urine diagnostic to detect the parasitic worms that cause river blindness, also called onchocerciasis, a tropical disease that afflicts 18 to 120 million people worldwide.

28 Aug 2018

Hand-held ophthalmology probe can image photoreceptors in the eyes of infants

Duke University researchers have developed a handheld probe that can image individual photoreceptors in the eyes of infants.

24 Aug 2018

Eye exam may one day help screen patients for Alzheimer's disease

It may be possible in the future to screen patients for Alzheimer's disease using an eye exam.

23 Aug 2018

Less-invasive options are slowing disease progression in glaucoma patients

Judith Smith, now 71, was at a routine appointment several years ago with her longtime ophthalmologist when the doctor made a comment that her right eye looked a little suspicious for glaucoma, an incurable disease that occurs when the optic nerve is damaged by pressure building inside the eye.

17 Aug 2018

Study shows efficacy, safety of AAV5-based gene therapy to treat sheep model of achromatopsia

A study of a large animal model of achromatopsia caused by a mutation in the CNGA3 gene that was treated with a single injection of CNGA3 gene therapy delivered using an AAV5 vector revealed findings reported long-term follow-up findings that show promise for the efficacy and safety of this therapeutic approach.

15 Aug 2018

Scientists reverse congenital blindness in mouse model

A study funded by the National Eye Institute has shown that congenital blindness in mice can be reversed by regenerating rod photoreceptors in the retina.

15 Aug 2018

Researchers focus on uncoupling obesity from diabetes

About 422 million people around the world, including more than 30 million Americans, have diabetes. Approximately ninety percent of them have type 2 diabetes. People with this condition cannot effectively use insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the body turn blood sugar into energy.

15 Aug 2018

Autoimmune response drives neurodegeneration in glaucoma

A research team from Massachusetts Eye and Ear and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has shown that immune cells in the eye that developed in response to early exposure to bacteria are a key contributor to progressive vision loss from glaucoma, the second leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.

12 Aug 2018

Autoimmune response contributes to vision loss in glaucoma patients

A research team from Massachusetts Eye and Ear and MIT has shown that immune cells in the eye that developed in response to early exposure to bacteria are a key contributor to progressive vision loss from glaucoma, the second leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.

10 Aug 2018

Glaucoma could be an autoimmune disorder, study suggests

Glaucoma, a disease that afflicts nearly 70 million people worldwide, is something of a mystery despite its prevalence. Little is known about the origins of the disease, which damages the retina and optic nerve and can lead to blindness.

10 Aug 2018

Blue light from smart phones and digital devices could raise risk of blindness

According to researchers, the blue light from laptops, smart phones and other digital devices, could raise the risk of blindness. The study appears in the latest issue of the journal Scientific Reports.

10 Aug 2018

Blindness News and Research

First U.S. patient treated with innovative gene therapy at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Promising gene therapy for 'day blind' sheep now safe for clinical trials in human patients

Study: aPKC inhibitors may provide new therapeutic option for blinding eye diseases

Gene therapy for rare genetic blindness wins prestigious Champalimaud Vision award

Brain’s attention network plays key role in vision restoration after stroke, trauma

Millions of people do not receive NHS Health Check that helps spot diabetes

EC grants marketing authorization for ONPATTRO (patisiran) in Europe

New system that uses AI accurately detects patients with diabetic retinopathy

Ocular Syphilis study finds increasing numbers of people at risk for permanent vision damage

Scientists develop urine diagnostic to detect parasitic worms that cause river blindness

Hand-held ophthalmology probe can image photoreceptors in the eyes of infants

Eye exam may one day help screen patients for Alzheimer's disease

Less-invasive options are slowing disease progression in glaucoma patients

Study shows efficacy, safety of AAV5-based gene therapy to treat sheep model of achromatopsia

Scientists reverse congenital blindness in mouse model

Researchers focus on uncoupling obesity from diabetes

Autoimmune response drives neurodegeneration in glaucoma

Autoimmune response contributes to vision loss in glaucoma patients

Glaucoma could be an autoimmune disorder, study suggests

Blue light from smart phones and digital devices could raise risk of blindness

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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