Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Exposure to blue light may lead to eyestrain but does not damage retina

Nearly 90 percent of adults use digital devices for two or more hours per day, according to The Vision Council's 2016 Digital Eye Strain Report, exposing consumers to blue light that some suggest is dangerous.

26 Apr 2016

Newly developed smartphone application may potentially benefit low-vision users

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have developed a smartphone application that projects a magnified smartphone screen to Google Glass, which users can navigate using head movements to view a corresponding portion of the magnified screen. They have shown that the technology can potentially benefit low-vision users, many of whom find the smartphone's built-in zoom feature to be difficult to use due to the loss of context. Their results are published online in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.

25 Apr 2016

Under-expressed miR-9 gene may contribute to schizophrenia risk

By turning skin cells into brain neurons, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified that certain tiny molecules aiding in gene expression, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), are under-expressed in the brains of the 14 schizophrenia patients they studied. Their findings, published online today in the journal Cell Reports, show that one of these molecules, a miRNA known as miR-9, is a risk factor that controls the activity of hundreds of genes.

22 Apr 2016

CUMC researchers identify new neurodevelopmental syndrome

A multicenter research team led by Columbia University Medical Center has discovered a new neurodevelopmental syndrome and the genetic mutations that cause it. The discovery is an important step toward creating targeted therapies for individuals with this syndrome, which causes severe developmental delays, abnormal muscle tone, seizures, and eye complications.

22 Apr 2016

Scientists identify genetic mechanisms behind development of myopia

Myopia, also known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is the most common disorder affecting the eyesight and it is on the increase. The causes are both genetic and environmental.

22 Apr 2016

Bacteria-derived gut metabolites can affect brain’s myelin content and induce depression-like symptoms

Specific combinations of gut bacteria produce substances that affect myelin content and cause social avoidance behaviors in mice, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today in the medical journal eLife. This research suggests that targeting intestinal bacteria, or their metabolites, could be one way to treat debilitating psychiatric disorders and demyelinating diseases, like multiple sclerosis.

21 Apr 2016

Caltech researchers map out pathways of neurons responsible for Parkinson's motor impairments

Because billions of neurons are packed into our brain, the neuronal circuits that are responsible for controlling our behaviors are by necessity highly intermingled. This tangled web makes it complicated for scientists to determine exactly which circuits do what. Now, using two laboratory techniques pioneered in part at Caltech, Caltech researchers have mapped out the pathways of a set of neurons responsible for the kinds of motor impairments--such as difficulty walking--found in patients with Parkinson's disease.

21 Apr 2016

Scientists aim to identify marker that could indicate aggressive basal cell skin cancer

Most basal cell skin cancers are easily removed -- those on the arm, leg or back. But when the cancer is on the eyelid or when it starts to invade surrounding tissue, it's no longer straightforward.

21 Apr 2016

Non-invasive optogenetic therapy can help treat chronic pain

The potential of light as a non-invasive, highly-focused alternative to pain medication was made more apparent thanks to research conducted by scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre.

21 Apr 2016

UNC scientists develop new optogenetic tool to study function of different proteins

Scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have developed a way to embed light-responsive switches into proteins so that researchers can use lasers to manipulate protein movement and activity within living cells and animals.

19 Apr 2016

Study: British adults agree to donate heart, kidney and lungs, but not eyes for transplant

Despite a shortage of corneas for transplant purposes, new research reveals that eyes are the one body part we are least likely to donate.

19 Apr 2016

Cancer causing genetic condition risk in children lower than previously thought

The odds of children having a genetic condition which causes learning difficulties and tumours have been dramatically cut, thanks to genetic analysis led by The University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

18 Apr 2016

Study shows children with rare eye disease have greatest benefit from gene therapy

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University's Casey Eye Institute and Baylor College of Medicine's Cullen Eye Institute published findings from a two-year Phase I clinical trial in the journal Ophthalmology, which showed that children had the greatest benefit from gene therapy for treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) or severe early childhood onset retinal degeneration (SECORD).

18 Apr 2016

Survivin inhibitor with chemotherapy provides therapeutic advantage for Rb cells, tumors

Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have demonstrated that targeting survivin - a protein that inhibits apoptosis or cell death - enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cells and mouse models of retinoblastoma (Rb), the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children.

18 Apr 2016

Flat adenomas may warrant keeping closer eye on patients at risk for colorectal cancer

Being on the lookout for certain features of polyps may help physicians keep a closer eye on patients at risk for colorectal cancer.

16 Apr 2016

Investigators find tacrolimus to be very effective in reducing ocular symptoms of GVHD

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have conducted a clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of topical tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive therapy, and topical methylprednisolone, a steroid medication, in patients with ocular graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) -- a complication associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplants in which the transplanted immune system's cells attack certain parts of the recipient's body, including the cornea and ocular surface.

16 Apr 2016

Removal of Dnmt1 enzyme during OPC differentiation could lead to neurological symptoms

The removal of the enzyme Dnmt1 during oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) differentiation in the central nervous system resulted in inefficient myelin formation and neurological deterioration, including loss of control of bodily movements, in mice, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today in the medical journal Cell Reports. The results could lead to a new understanding of multiple sclerosis and other myelin disorders in humans.

16 Apr 2016

Slow-wave sleep may promote consolidation of recent memories

Research strongly suggests that sleep, which constitutes about a third of our lives, is crucial for learning and forming long-term memories. But exactly how such memory is formed is not well understood and remains, despite considerable research, a central question of inquiry in neuroscience.

16 Apr 2016

Scientists reveal mechanism involved in regulation of lymphangiogenesis

After an injury to tissues, such as in organ transplantation, the body grows new lymphatic vessels in a process known as lymphangiogenesis. A new study in Nature Communications reveals a mechanism involved in the regulation of this process, specifically in corneal transplants and infectious eye disease.

13 Apr 2016

Studies offer alternative conclusions on efficacy of DAAs for HIV and HCV co-infected patients

Two separate studies presented today at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain have offered alternative conclusions regarding the efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) among patients co-infected with HIV and Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

13 Apr 2016

Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Exposure to blue light may lead to eyestrain but does not damage retina

Newly developed smartphone application may potentially benefit low-vision users

Under-expressed miR-9 gene may contribute to schizophrenia risk

CUMC researchers identify new neurodevelopmental syndrome

Scientists identify genetic mechanisms behind development of myopia

Bacteria-derived gut metabolites can affect brain’s myelin content and induce depression-like symptoms

Caltech researchers map out pathways of neurons responsible for Parkinson's motor impairments

Scientists aim to identify marker that could indicate aggressive basal cell skin cancer

Non-invasive optogenetic therapy can help treat chronic pain

UNC scientists develop new optogenetic tool to study function of different proteins

Study: British adults agree to donate heart, kidney and lungs, but not eyes for transplant

Cancer causing genetic condition risk in children lower than previously thought

Study shows children with rare eye disease have greatest benefit from gene therapy

Survivin inhibitor with chemotherapy provides therapeutic advantage for Rb cells, tumors

Flat adenomas may warrant keeping closer eye on patients at risk for colorectal cancer

Investigators find tacrolimus to be very effective in reducing ocular symptoms of GVHD

Removal of Dnmt1 enzyme during OPC differentiation could lead to neurological symptoms

Slow-wave sleep may promote consolidation of recent memories

Scientists reveal mechanism involved in regulation of lymphangiogenesis

Studies offer alternative conclusions on efficacy of DAAs for HIV and HCV co-infected patients

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Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Industry Focus eBook - Oncology (1st Edition) eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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