Blindness News and Research

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Researchers recapitulate pathological condition of retinal diseases on a chip

Approximately 80% of all sensory input is received via the eyes, so suffering from chronic retinal diseases that lead to blindness causes a significant decrease in the quality of life (QOL).

15 Jun 2017

Researchers find dressmakers to have superior needle-sharp stereoscopic vision

Haute couture can be credited for enhancing more than catwalks and red carpets. New research from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that the 3D or "stereoscopic" vision of dressmakers is as sharp as their needles.

15 Jun 2017

Altered virus could help more patients to become eligible for human gene therapy trials

For many patients, participating in gene therapy clinical trials isn't an option because their immune system recognizes and fights the helpful virus used for treatment.

13 Jun 2017

Low levels of vitamin A could be strong risk factor for TB

People with low levels of vitamin A living with individuals sick with tuberculosis may be 10 times more likely to develop the disease than people with high levels of the nutrient, according to research led by investigators at Harvard Medical School.

13 Jun 2017

Researchers develop computer model to analyze progression of age-related macular degeneration

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a common disease of the centre of the retina, primarily affecting those aged over 50.

7 Jun 2017

CRISPR may not be as foolproof as earlier believed – gene editing tech leads to unwanted mutations

CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary new gene-editing technology that has been called “molecular scissors” and has been one of the handiest tools for genetic engineers in the recent times. It makes cutting and pasting gene sequences almost as easy as it sounds. CRISPR has been hailed as a breakthrough in genetic engineering.

30 May 2017

Gene editing technology can introduce hundreds of unintended mutations, study shows

As CRISPR-Cas9 starts to move into clinical trials, a new study published in Nature Methods has found that the gene-editing technology can introduce hundreds of unintended mutations into the genome.

29 May 2017

Clinical study tests 100-year-old drug in children with autism spectrum disorder

In a small, randomized Phase I/II clinical trial (SAT1), researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine say a 100-year-old drug called suramin, originally developed to treat African sleeping sickness, was safely administered to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who subsequently displayed measurable, but transient, improvement in core symptoms of autism.

26 May 2017

Georgia State researchers renew $2.3 million federal grant for diabetic vascular disease research

Dr. Ming-Hui Zou, director of the Center for Molecular & Translational Medicine and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Molecular Medicine, has renewed a four-year, $2.3 million federal grant to study the role of an enzyme in causing diabetic vascular diseases and the molecular mechanism that leads to these diseases.

25 May 2017

UAB professor receives $1.5 million grant to explore links between circadian fluctuations and glaucoma

Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology, has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Eye Institute to explore the links between circadian fluctuations and glaucoma. This is Samuels' first R01 grant.

22 May 2017

Electrical stimulation of the brain may help preserve visual neurons from cell death after injury

Electrical stimulation of the brain by applying current to the eye may help retinal nerve cells to survive injury. While these neurons may not be restored to full function, they are prevented from dying. But to achieve survival, their interconnections, the dendritic tree, needs to disconnect rapidly for the protective action to unfold.

18 May 2017

Sperm epigenetics and fertility

Epigenetics is a system of information that lies atop DNA to control which genes are accessible, active and inactive. Each cell in your body essentially has identical DNA, but they have different patterns of expression.

18 May 2017

New type of eye drop could potentially revolutionize treatment of AMD

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have developed a type of eye drop which could potentially revolutionize the treatment of one of the leading causes of blindness in the UK.

15 May 2017

Large source of real-time data provides insight into treatment for vision-threatening condition

For most people, being nearsighted is a nuisance, easily treated with a prescription for glasses or contact lenses. But some experience a complication that can cause permanent blindness.

11 May 2017

Two widely used drugs show effectiveness in treating patients with CRVO-associated macular edema

Monthly eye injections of Avastin (bevacizumab) are as effective as the more expensive drug Eylea (aflibercept) for the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion, according to a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 May 2017

Study: Systemic therapy preserves vision of uveitis patients better than intraocular implant

Systemic therapy consisting of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants preserved vision of uveitis patients better - and had fewer adverse outcomes - than a long-lasting corticosteroid intraocular implant, according to a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute.

9 May 2017

Study finds effective treatment approach for preserving long-term vision in patients with severe uveitis

Researchers comparing leading treatment approaches for patients with severe uveitis have discovered that systemic therapy with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppression can preserve or improve vision in the long term better than regional implant therapy can.

8 May 2017

Massachusetts Eye and Ear aims to enhance care for retina patients with new 3D visualization surgical system

Massachusetts Eye and Ear is enhancing the care it brings to adult and pediatric retina patients with a new and innovative vitreoretinal surgical platform, known as the NGENUITY 3D Visualization System.

5 May 2017

Researchers identify biomarker that could predict disease severity in glaucoma patients

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, most often is diagnosed during a routine eye exam. Over time, elevated pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. Unfortunately, there's no way to accurately predict which patients might lose vision most rapidly.

4 May 2017

Breakthrough therapy reduces symptoms of Graves' eye disease in clinical trials

The disease is characterized by inflammation and a buildup of tissue around the eyes that cause them to bulge painfully from their sockets.