Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates future location of ear's sensory organs tracked

Researchers have tracked a cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates the future location of the ear's sensory organs in embryonic mice. The scientists succeeded in activating this signal more widely across the embryonic tissue that becomes the inner ear. Patches of sensory structures began growing in spots where they don't normally appear.

30 Aug 2010

Researcher develops new plaque brachytherapy technique to treat eye cancer

Rare but devastating, eye cancer can strike anyone at any time and treating it often requires radiation that leaves half of all patients partially blind.But a new technique developed by Scott Oliver, MD, assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, may change all that.

30 Aug 2010

Scientists identify genetic basis to determine severity of allergic asthma in experimental models

Scientists have identified a genetic basis for determining the severity of allergic asthma in experimental models of the disease.The study may help in the search for future therapeutic strategies to fight a growing medical problem that currently lacks effective treatments, researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report in the Aug. 29 Nature Immunology.

30 Aug 2010

Shift to health from other sectors may breathe life into firm, city

A Minneapolis Star Tribune business columnist details a crucial choice one engineering firm made for its future Defense or health care. Health care, was Mid-Continent Engineering's answer. The firm has evolved from building parts for ship board Navy computers to high precision pivoting MRI machine arms as part of its strategy to swing from losses to profits, fend off the recession and ensure a lucrative future.

30 Aug 2010

Simple medical exams recommended for school-age children

Many children and teens are enjoying the remaining days of their summer vacation, but are they truly prepared for what lies ahead? With a few simple medical exams, Virginia's school-age children will be armed with the tools they need to enjoy a healthy school year. The exams we are referring to are given in a doctor's and/or dentist's office, and should take place before or shortly after the start of the new school year, and include a routine doctor's exam to confirm that all immunizations are up-to-date, a dental exam and a vision exam.

27 Aug 2010

New system safely induces sensory, mobility disturbances experienced by astronauts after return to Earth

What does it feel like to return to Earth after a long stay in space? Until now, it has been difficult during astronaut training to realistically simulate the dizzying effects the human body can experience.

27 Aug 2010

Disulfiram drug effective in treating cocaine addiction: Research

Doctors have used the drug disulfiram to help patients stay sober for several decades. It interferes with the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, giving a fierce hangover to someone who consumes even a small amount of alcohol.More recently, disulfiram was shown to be effective in treating cocaine addiction as well, even though alcohol and cocaine affect the nervous system in different ways.

27 Aug 2010

Novartis purchases majority interest in Alcon from Nestlé for $28.3 billion

Novartis AG and Nestlé S.A. announced today that they have completed the purchase and sale of approximately 156 million shares of Alcon, Inc. for US$28.3 billion in cash.

26 Aug 2010

Tree Top enters Letter of Intent with WorldWithoutBlindness

Recently Tree Top, entered into a Letter of Intent with WorldWithoutBlindness, LLC, ("WWB"), a not-for-profit medical corporation whose expressed mission is "to prevent blindness through screening and early disease detection, patient information, physician education and vision science research." During due diligence, Tree Top's management, along with WWB related medical staff, identified that more work needed to be done to successfully implement WWB's business model.

26 Aug 2010

Researchers show biosynthetic cornea can stimulate regeneration in damaged eye tissue

A new study from researchers in Canada and Sweden has shown that biosynthetic corneas can help regenerate and repair damaged eye tissue and improve vision in humans.

26 Aug 2010

Gene linked to Fuchs corneal dystrophy discovered

A 13-member research team led by University of Oregon scientist Dr. Albert O. Edwards has found a gene likely responsible for Fuchs corneal dystrophy, an inheritable genetic disorder and leading cause of corneal transplant operations.

26 Aug 2010

Ataxin 2 gene mutation contributes to Lou Gehrig's disease: Research

An international study led by biologists and neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania has identified a new genetic risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

26 Aug 2010

Sea food for babies

Has your toddler eaten fish today? A University of Illinois food science professor has two important reasons for including seafood in your young child's diet, reasons that have motivated her work in helping to develop a tasty, nutritious salmon baby food for toddlers.

25 Aug 2010

Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Procter & Gamble to co-promote Silenor

Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Somaxon and Procter & Gamble have entered into a co-promotion agreement for Silenor (doxepin), a newly-approved treatment for insomnia characterized by difficulty with sleep maintenance.

25 Aug 2010

Simulations Plus launches Version 7.0 of GastroPlus software for pharmaceutical industry

Simulations Plus, Inc.,a leading provider of simulation and modeling software for pharmaceutical discovery and development, has announced the launch of Version 7.0 of GastroPlus, the industry's gold standard software for the simulation of drug absorption, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.

25 Aug 2010

Bug with bifocals discovered

University of Cincinnati researchers are reporting on the discovery of a bug with bifocals - such an amazing finding that it initially had the researchers questioning whether they could believe their own eyes. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of truly bifocal lenses in the extant animal kingdom," the researchers state in the Aug. 24 cover feature of the premier life-science journal, Current Biology.

24 Aug 2010

Canadian government to match private donations for Pakistan flood aid

Donations for flood aid in Pakistan through cbm Canada will be matched dollar for dollar by the federal government until September 12.

24 Aug 2010

Medical loss ratio rules for insurers could bring controversy to Sebelius' office

Once the National Association of Insurance Commissioners finalizes recommendations on insurance companies' spending on medical costs versus administrative expenses, the next stop for that proposal will be the desk of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Politico reports.

23 Aug 2010

InSite Vision initiates Phase 1/2 clinical trial of ISV-303

InSite Vision Incorporated, a company developing novel ophthalmic therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of ISV-303, a topical anti-inflammatory product intended to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with ocular surgery. ISV-303 combines a low dose of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory bromfenac with InSite Vision's proprietary DuraSite technology.

23 Aug 2010

Updated 2nd edition of book on Graves' orbitopathy

The significant progress in the understanding of the pathogenesis and the treatment of Graves' orbitopathy (GO) has warranted a second edition of this book within three years of the first. Now also fully incorporated is the EUGOGO consensus statement on management of GO, which since has been accepted worldwide as a useful guideline.

21 Aug 2010