Vision Loss News and Research

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Norrin treatment prevents vision loss in diabetic rats

Over 100 million people in the U.S. are affected by diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes.

30 Oct 2026

TIBI researcher receives NIH grant for 3D-bioprinted retinal grafts

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Johnson V. John, Assistant Professor at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), has received an R56 grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

30 Oct 2026

Taking a GLP-1 drug? Here's what the safety evidence really shows

A review on GLP-1 receptor agonists highlights risks like pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, emphasizing individual patient risk over general safety concerns.

26 Oct 2026

Gene therapy and special goggles help some blind adults detect objects again

In a phase 1 study of 10 adults with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, researchers found that optogenetic gene therapy combined with light-stimulating goggles was generally well tolerated, although one participant experienced a severe but transient ocular adverse event. Seven participants showed improved light sensitivity, while four of eight who completed behavioral testing demonstrated modest gains in visual function, providing preliminary evidence of partial vision restoration that requires confirmation in larger controlled trials.

12 Oct 2026

Lifelong blindness enhances brain processing for better pitch discrimination

Are people who have been blind for most of their lives better at hearing than sighted individuals? New in JNeurosci, Woon Ju Park, from Georgia Institute of Technology, and colleagues, broached this question by comparing tone detection and pitch discrimination in people with and without sight.

12 Oct 2026

16-year study links worsening vision to higher dementia risk

Researchers followed 15,576 older adults in Hong Kong for up to 16 years and linked moderate to severe visual impairment to higher dementia risk, with rapid visual decline strengthening the association at poorer levels of vision. They estimated that severe impairment corresponded to 2.1 fewer dementia-free years over the study period, but could not establish that correcting vision prevents dementia.

11 Oct 2026

Optogenetic therapy improves light sensitivity in people with retinitis pigmentosa

An international research team has reported new results from the first clinical cohort of blind people treated with an optogenetic therapy for advanced retinitis pigmentosa.

7 Oct 2026

Cold temperatures may raise eye pressure in glaucoma patients

Lower air temperatures may be associated with an increase in the fluid pressure inside the eye-a cardinal cause of glaucoma-and should be taken into consideration when treating patients with the condition, suggest the findings of research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

29 Sep 2026

Scientists uncover molecular mechanism that tunes eye light sensitivity

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have determined the mechanism by which a molecule within cells can help tune the light sensitivity of the eyes.

24 Sep 2026

Experimental drug reverses multiple sclerosis damage in mouse model

A drug developed by a UVA Health scientist has not only stopped but reversed paralysis and vision loss in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

23 Sep 2026

Novai publishes study supporting use of DARC imaging technology to identify patients at risk of central vision loss from macular atrophy

Novai. a medtech company combatting blindness and disability by pioneering early detection and intervention for eye and brain diseases, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in Expert Review of Ophthalmology, which successfully demonstrates its ‘Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells’ (DARC) imaging technology as a promising biomarker for identifying patients at high risk of central vision loss caused by macular atrophy (MA).

23 Sep 2026

Brain Health WA resource aims to reduce dementia risk

With Western Australia projected to record the nation's fastest growth in dementia cases, a new Curtin University-led resource aims to help people protect their brain health and reduce their risk.

22 Sep 2026

Air pollution linked to higher risks of glaucoma and cataract

People who live in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to develop glaucoma and cataract, according to a large study presented today (Monday) at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

15 Sep 2026

Distinct EFEMP1 variants cause different forms of vision loss

Scientists identified a new vision condition linked to a gene already connected to a different vision-loss disease. While the previously identified disease causes loss of central vision, the new condition affects peripheral and night vision.

11 Sep 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

Metabolic stress triggers long-lasting immune system changes in diabetes patients

A growing understanding of trained immunity, a form of long-lasting immune system adaptation, is reshaping how scientists view diabetes and its many complications.

7 Aug 2026

IL-6 receptor blockers show promise for preventing MOGAD relapses

An international study led by Mayo Clinic researchers has identified interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blockers as a promising option for preventing relapses in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). MOGAD is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that can cause vision loss, paralysis and other serious neurological complications.

6 Aug 2026

Cortisone eye drops may reduce blindness in extremely premature babies

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital have conducted the first randomized clinical trial in the world to test cortisone eye drops to slow the progression of serious eye disease in extremely premature babies.

3 Aug 2026

Photoreceptors possess internal recycling system to preserve vision

For decades, scientists believed that photoreceptors in the retina relied primarily on neighboring support cells, known as the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), to remove waste. While the RPE is still responsible for clearing away the worn-out tips of photoreceptors each day, new findings from the University of Oklahoma reveal that photoreceptors also perform much of their own internal housekeeping.

29 Jul 2026

Plasma exchange improves recovery in rare inflammatory nerve disease

Plasma exchange can help treat people with a rare inflammatory disease that can cause blindness, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published on July 22, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Jul 2026