Blindness News and Research

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L-DOPA drug may delay or prevent age-related macular degeneration

A drug already used safely to treat Parkinson's disease, restless leg syndrome and other movement disorders also could delay or prevent the most common cause of blindness affecting more than 9 million older Americans - age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

10 Nov 2015

Drug used to treat Parkinson's and related diseases may delay or prevent macular degeneration

In a major scientific breakthrough, a drug used to treat Parkinson's and related diseases may be able to delay or prevent macular degeneration, the most common form of blindness among older Americans.

10 Nov 2015

Nightstar announces $35 million Series B financing round

NightstaRx Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company specialising in developing gene therapies for inherited retinal dystrophies, announces a $35 million Series B financing round. The round was led by New Enterprise Associates, one of the world's leading venture capital firms.

9 Nov 2015

UCSF scientists identify eye drop chemical that may reverse cataracts

A chemical that could potentially be used in eye drops to reverse cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, has been identified by a team of scientists from UC San Francisco (UCSF), the University of Michigan (U-M), and Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).

6 Nov 2015

Oxford professor wins Heinrich Wieland Prize for pioneering method that helps control nerve cells with light

Gero Miesenböck was the first to insert a light-controlled on/off switch into brain cells. His pioneering method allows scientists to switch nerve cells on and off selectively and observe how the behaviour of, for example, fruit flies or mice changes as a result. In this way, researchers can learn in a step-by-step process what behaviour the studied brain circuits control and what goes awry in disease. For his method, hailed as a "breakthrough of the decade," Professor Gero Miesenböck of the University of Oxford will receive the 100,000-euro Heinrich Wieland Prize of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation in Munich on November 6, 2015.

4 Nov 2015

Discovery offers promising alternative to current therapies for AMD and ROP

A research team led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the University of New Mexico School of Medicine has identified a small molecule that treats animal models of aged macular degeneration (AMD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by preventing the overgrowth of blood vessels that are characteristic of these two retinal diseases.

3 Nov 2015

Saint Louis University ophthalmologist offers tips to manage night vision issues

Owls and cats are at an advantage as the days get darker, but humans may notice their vision takes a hit during their evening commute home as daylight hours shrink.

31 Oct 2015

Q BioMed signs definitive license agreement with Mannin Research

Q BioMed Inc., a biotechnology acceleration company is pleased to announce it has signed a definitive license, with the option to acquire, the platform technology assets of Mannin Research Inc.

30 Oct 2015

Franziska Michor named recipient of NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize

The New York Stem Cell Foundation announced today that Franziska Michor, PhD, is the 2015 recipient of the NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize for her work pioneering new approaches to study the growth, spread, and treatment of cancer. Her laboratory fuses her passions in mathematics, molecular biology and patient care to investigate how cancers form and progress.

29 Oct 2015

NYSCF conference to focus on translational stem cell and neuroscience research

The New York Stem Cell Foundation 10th Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference convenes global leaders in translational stem cell and neuroscience research to present their latest work towards new treatments and cures for the most devastating diseases and injuries currently facing the world.

26 Oct 2015

3-D model of animal brain provides more complete picture of brain's connectivity

The animal brain is so complex, it would take a supercomputer and vast amounts of data to create a detailed 3-D model of the billions of neurons that power it.

23 Oct 2015

Latinos with African ancestry at higher risk for glaucoma

Latinos with African ancestry are at a higher risk for high pressure within the eye, a condition that if untreated can damage the optic nerve and impair vision, according to a report in the journal Ophthalmology.

22 Oct 2015

Gait analysis could lead to reduced falls, injuries in people with glaucoma

Washington State University researchers have developed a way to carefully analyze a person's gait with sensors, an innovation that could lead to reduced falls and injuries in people with glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the United States.

22 Oct 2015

First primate model can help researchers to study mother-to-fetus CMV infections

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects worldwide, but scientists have been frustrated in their efforts to develop a vaccine to protect against infections.

20 Oct 2015

NAM announces election of three new members from UC San Diego School of Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine announced today the election of three new members from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine: Napoleone Ferrara, MD; Christopher K. Glass, MD, PhD; and Roberto Malinow, MD, PhD. Election to NAM is considered among the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

20 Oct 2015

Kaiser Permanente recognizes three projects for advancing quality and patient safety to transform care

As part of Kaiser Permanente's culture of continuous improvement, the organization annually recognizes outstanding projects across the nation's largest integrated health system that advance quality and patient safety. Recently, three winners were honored for their efforts in supporting patient care through technology, advanced sepsis intervention and improving early detection of diabetic retinopathy.

20 Oct 2015

Allergan completes acquisition of AqueSys

Allergan plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of AqueSys, Inc. a clinical-stage medical device company focused on developing ocular implants that reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) associated with glaucoma.

19 Oct 2015

Gene therapy preserves vision in canine model of late-stage retinitis pigmentosa

Gene therapy preserved vision in a study involving dogs with naturally occurring, late-stage retinitis pigmentosa, according to research funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The findings contribute to the groundwork needed to move gene therapy forward into clinical trials for people with the blinding eye disorder, for which there is currently no cure.

15 Oct 2015

Insulin dose not independent risk factor for cardiovascular death

A NIH-sponsored double-blinded, randomized clinical trial entitled Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD study) came to a halt seven years ago after patients receiving more intensive diabetes therapy were found to have a higher mortality rate, compared to the standard therapy.

14 Oct 2015

RE.WORK showcases future technology and innovations in deep learning software

The future of technological innovation is a broad topic with endless opportunities in every scientific field. RE.WORK’s two most recent concurrent conferences ‘RE.WORK: Future Technology’ and ‘RE.WORK: Deep Learning’, in part focussed on putting healthcare in the context of the wider technological revolution.

13 Oct 2015

Blindness News and Research

L-DOPA drug may delay or prevent age-related macular degeneration

Drug used to treat Parkinson's and related diseases may delay or prevent macular degeneration

Nightstar announces $35 million Series B financing round

UCSF scientists identify eye drop chemical that may reverse cataracts

Oxford professor wins Heinrich Wieland Prize for pioneering method that helps control nerve cells with light

Discovery offers promising alternative to current therapies for AMD and ROP

Saint Louis University ophthalmologist offers tips to manage night vision issues

Q BioMed signs definitive license agreement with Mannin Research

Franziska Michor named recipient of NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize

NYSCF conference to focus on translational stem cell and neuroscience research

3-D model of animal brain provides more complete picture of brain's connectivity

Latinos with African ancestry at higher risk for glaucoma

Gait analysis could lead to reduced falls, injuries in people with glaucoma

First primate model can help researchers to study mother-to-fetus CMV infections

NAM announces election of three new members from UC San Diego School of Medicine

Kaiser Permanente recognizes three projects for advancing quality and patient safety to transform care

Allergan completes acquisition of AqueSys

Gene therapy preserves vision in canine model of late-stage retinitis pigmentosa

Insulin dose not independent risk factor for cardiovascular death

RE.WORK showcases future technology and innovations in deep learning software

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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