Blindness News and Research

RSS

Sun Pharma, Intrexon partner to develop controllable gene-based therapies for ocular diseases

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., an international specialty pharmaceutical company focused on chronic diseases, through its subsidiary, and Intrexon Corporation, a leader in synthetic biology, today announced the formation of a joint venture to develop controllable gene-based therapies for the treatment of ocular diseases that cause partial or total blindness in millions of people worldwide.

1 Oct 2013

Short-term hearing loss during childhood may lead to persistent hearing deficits

Short-term hearing loss during childhood may lead to persistent hearing deficits, long after basic auditory sensitivity has returned to normal. The processing of sound in the brain is shaped by early experience.

1 Oct 2013

Simple smartphone fundus photography could help detect eye disease

Retinal (or fundus) photography is an essential part of any ophthalmology practice. Commercial fundus cameras can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, making the technology out of reach for smaller ophthalmic practices and to physicians in third-world countries.

25 Sep 2013

Quartette tablets now available in U.S. for prevention of pregnancy

Teva Women's Health, a U.S. subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced that the recently approved Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) tablets are now available via prescription in the U.S. for the prevention of pregnancy.

24 Sep 2013

New laser provides better treatment for eye diseases in diabetes patients

A new laser is helping experts at the Truhlsen Eye Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center provide better treatment for eye diseases. This advanced laser can prevent blindness for some patients with serious conditions.

24 Sep 2013

Messages that warn consumers about potentially harmful side effects increase product sales

Drug ads often warn of serious side effects, from nausea and bleeding to blindness, even death. New research suggests that, rather than scaring consumers away, these warnings can improve consumers' opinions and increase product sales when there is a delay between seeing the ad and deciding to buy or consume the product.

24 Sep 2013

LSTM professor awarded The Manson Medal for outstanding contribution in field of tropical medicine

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is delighted that Emeritus Professor and Senior Professional Fellow, David Molyneux, has been awarded The Manson Medal, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's highest mark of distinction.

21 Sep 2013

Toxoplasma infection makes mice fearless

The Toxoplasma parasite can be deadly, causing spontaneous abortion in pregnant women or killing immune-compromised patients, but it has even stranger effects in mice.

19 Sep 2013

Scientists develop experimental vaccine against human CMV infection

An experimental vaccine against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which endangers the developing fetus, organ transplant recipients, patients with HIV and others who have a weakened immune system, proved safe and more effective than previous vaccines developed to prevent infection by the ubiquitous virus.

19 Sep 2013

UCSF neuroscientist wins Barancik Prize for multiple sclerosis research

Neuroscientist Jonah Chan, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco, is the first recipient of a new international prize launched to recognize innovation and progress in multiple sclerosis research.

17 Sep 2013

Researchers identify gene mutation linked to age-related macular degeneration

An international team of researchers, led by scientists at The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, has identified a gene mutation linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in Americans over age 50.

17 Sep 2013

Four new pre-clinical drug development projects at NIH develop treatment for rare disease

Four new pre-clinical drug development projects at the National Institutes of Health will target a form of blindness and diseases characterized by cardiac problems. The projects were selected for their potential to treat specific rare diseases and to help scientists uncover new information that can be shared with other researchers.

13 Sep 2013

Research holds promise for developing treatments for retinitis pigmentos

One of the leading causes of inherited blindness in humans, retinitis pigmentosa, is analogous to retinal dystrophies that lead to blindness in dogs. Because of their similarities, identifying gene mutations underlying several types of canine retinal dystrophies has suggested courses for research on RP in humans. These advances are significant for both humans and dogs.

12 Sep 2013

New technique provides better understanding of factors causing Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

The first proteomic analysis of an animal model of a rare, sometimes deadly birth defect, Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), has revealed that the molecular mechanisms that cause it are more complex than previously understood.

12 Sep 2013

Short-term blood sugar control in diabetes patients has limited effect on risk of cardiovascular problems

An international study has shown that short-term blood sugar control in patients with diabetes has a limited effect on their risk of cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and stroke.

6 Sep 2013

Study: People with cataract-related vision loss who undergo cataract surgery live longer

People with cataract-related vision loss who have had cataract surgery to improve their sight are living longer than those with visual impairment who chose not to have the procedure, according to an Australian cohort study published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. After comparing the two groups, the researchers found a 40 percent lower long-term mortality risk in those who had the surgery.

5 Sep 2013

Researchers develop first animal model simulating eye complications linked with Graves' disease

Researchers have developed the first animal model simulating the eye complications associated with the thyroid condition Graves' disease, a breakthrough that could pave the way for better treatments, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's journal Endocrinology.

3 Sep 2013

Researchers identify mutation in CNGB1 gene causing PRA in Phalene and Papillon

Professor Hannes Lohi's research group at the University of Helsinki and Folkh-lsan Research Center, Finland, has identified a mutation in CNGB1 gene, causing progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in the Phalene and Papillon dog breeds.

30 Aug 2013

Study shows complement activation plays an important role in inherited macular degeneration

In a study published on line this week in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, Drs. Donita Garland, Rosario Fernandez-Godino, and Eric Pierce of the Ocular Genomics Institute at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, along with their colleagues, reported the unexpected finding that in mice genetically engineered to have an inherited form of macular degeneration, turning off the animals' complement system, a part of the immune system, prevented the disease.

20 Aug 2013

Omega-3 rich oils improve membrane fluidity in retina cells and help fight age-related eye diseases

Scientists working at the Research Center on Aging at the Health and Social Services Centre - University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke (CSSS-IUGS) have been studying strategies for protecting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells.

16 Aug 2013

Blindness News and Research

Sun Pharma, Intrexon partner to develop controllable gene-based therapies for ocular diseases

Short-term hearing loss during childhood may lead to persistent hearing deficits

Simple smartphone fundus photography could help detect eye disease

Quartette tablets now available in U.S. for prevention of pregnancy

New laser provides better treatment for eye diseases in diabetes patients

Messages that warn consumers about potentially harmful side effects increase product sales

LSTM professor awarded The Manson Medal for outstanding contribution in field of tropical medicine

Toxoplasma infection makes mice fearless

Scientists develop experimental vaccine against human CMV infection

UCSF neuroscientist wins Barancik Prize for multiple sclerosis research

Researchers identify gene mutation linked to age-related macular degeneration

Four new pre-clinical drug development projects at NIH develop treatment for rare disease

Research holds promise for developing treatments for retinitis pigmentos

New technique provides better understanding of factors causing Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

Short-term blood sugar control in diabetes patients has limited effect on risk of cardiovascular problems

Study: People with cataract-related vision loss who undergo cataract surgery live longer

Researchers develop first animal model simulating eye complications linked with Graves' disease

Researchers identify mutation in CNGB1 gene causing PRA in Phalene and Papillon

Study shows complement activation plays an important role in inherited macular degeneration

Omega-3 rich oils improve membrane fluidity in retina cells and help fight age-related eye diseases

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition) eBook

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

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Applications Engineer

Latest News