Retinal Degeneration News and Research

RSS

Retinal tissue may degenerate for a number of reasons. Among them are: artery or vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, R.L.F./R.O.P. or disease (usually hereditary). Retinitis pigmentosa, retinoschisis, lattic degeneration, and macular degeneration are characterized by progressive types of retinal degeneration.

Stanford scientists develop an ultracompact gene activation tool

The ability to precisely adjust the expression of genes inside the human body - ramping up protective ones and tamping down harmful ones - holds enormous potential for treating and preventing disease.

28 Aug 2026

New retina model reveals how CLN3-Batten disease damages vision

Researchers have developed a new way to study CLN3-Batten disease, a rare, inherited condition that causes early vision loss in children followed by progressive neurological decline.

26 Aug 2026

New photoswitchable drugs restore light perception in blind animals

Blinding diseases caused by the degeneration of photoreceptors, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), affect 200 million people worldwide and represent the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness.

15 Jul 2026

Lighting the way towards a new treatment for blindness

Adelaide University researchers have carried out the first in-human trial of a new type of treatment for a leading cause of blindness in working age adults, with promising results.

27 Jun 2026

Natural molecule erucamide helps slow progressive retinal degeneration

Many conditions that cause vision loss share a common feature: the gradual breakdown of the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye.

22 Jun 2026

AI-assisted model based on blood proteins could help predict retinal degeneration in diabetics

An AI-assisted model based on 71 different blood proteins could help doctors better predict retinal degeneration in diabetic patients before symptoms occur, according to a study published June 2nd in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Huangdong Li from the Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues.

2 Jun 2026

AI eye scans reveal who may be at higher risk of osteoporosis

RetiAGE, an AI-derived retinal biological age score, was associated with lower bone mineral density and higher fracture risk scores in older Singaporean adults. In the UK Biobank, older retinal biological age also predicted future osteoporosis, suggesting routine retinal imaging could eventually support opportunistic osteoporosis risk screening.

17 May 2026

Uncovering the hidden retinal risks of modern dentistry

Dentists are exposed to intense lighting for long hours, but its long-term impact on eye health is often overlooked. This study evaluates whether chronic exposure to dental lighting, especially blue and white LEDs, can damage the retina and disrupt its normal function. By combining human data with advanced imaging and animal models, the research uncovers hidden occupational risks and highlights the need for safer lighting practices to help protect dentists' vision.

31 Mar 2026

Retinal organoid study identifies pathways and compounds to protect cone cells

Scientists led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) and collaborators have identified genetic pathways and compounds capable of protecting cone photoreceptors from the degeneration that underlies conditions like age-related macular degeneration.

30 Mar 2026

Greenland shark eyesight offers clues to longevity, vision, and healthy aging

Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk sits in her office, eyes fixed on the computer monitor in front of her.

5 Jan 2026

TRPM1 loss drives rhythmic activity across retinal diseases

Rhythmic electrical activity in the retina (known as pathological oscillations) has been observed in several eye diseases, including congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

18 Nov 2025

New mouse models reveal mechanisms of RP59 retinal degeneration

Retinitis pigmentosa retinal degeneration is caused by a family of hereditary mutations in nearly 100 genes that slowly lead to blindness over years or decades.

29 Aug 2025

Apple snail eye regeneration offers new insights into human sight restoration

The eye of the apple snail is unusually similar to a human eye-but, unlike human eyes, it can regrow itself if injured or even amputated.

6 Aug 2025

Retinal organoid model advances understanding of dry age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), classified into dry and wet types, poses a significant threat to the vision of the elderly population globally.

9 Jul 2025

Oral 8-aminoguanine protects aging eyes and preserves vision in preclinical study

Oral 8-aminoguanine (8-AG) treatment preserved retinal structure and rod function in aged Fischer 344 rats, significantly reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings highlight the promise of 8-AG as a non-invasive intervention to slow age-related retinal degeneration.

27 May 2025

NIH scientists pioneer new retinal grafting technique for dry age-related macular degeneration

National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists have developed a new surgical technique for implanting multiple tissue grafts in the eye's retina.

23 May 2025

Powerful new toolkit targets vision loss in advanced retinal degeneration

Inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) are a group of genetic disorders that lead to progressive vision loss as the light-sensing cells of the eye-the photoreceptors-die due to mutations in genes needed for their function and survival.

23 May 2025

Gold nanoparticles offer new hope for vision restoration

A new study by Brown University researchers suggests that gold nanoparticles - microscopic bits of gold thousands of times thinner than a human hair - might one day be used to help restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.

16 Apr 2025

Reserpine shows promise in treating retinitis pigmentosa in rat studies

New studies in rats suggest the drug reserpine, approved in 1955 for high blood pressure, might treat the blinding disease retinitis pigmentosa.

15 Apr 2025

Scientists unveil dynamic structure of protein key to vision

Scientists have for the first time looked deep into the protein structure that may determine our vision - and discovered that it is much more dynamic than previously thought.

4 Apr 2025