Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Researchers discover new type of eye cancer that affects young babies

A team of Canadian and international cancer researchers led by Dr. Brenda Gallie at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, has discovered a new type of retinoblastoma, a rapidly developing eye cancer that affects very young babies- a finding that can immediately change clinical practice and optimize care for these children.

13 Mar 2013

Lack of very long chain fatty acids does not cause blindness in children with Stargardt type 3

Vision scientists long have thought that lack of very long chain fatty acids in photoreceptor cells caused blindness in children with Stargardt type 3 retinal degeneration, an incurable eye disease. But researchers at the University of Utah's John A. Moran Eye Center have shown in a new study that lack of these fatty acids does not cause blindness, meaning that the search for the mechanism that robs sight from children with the disease must start anew.

12 Mar 2013

Jersey Shore’s Bariatric Surgery Program helps obese people to lose weight

For the obese community, the benefits of weight-loss surgery go beyond what the eye can see. Jersey Shore University Medical Center's Bariatric Surgery Program offers the education and tools necessary for people to make the life changing decision of losing weight.

8 Mar 2013

Cholesterol levels seem to fluctuate significantly with turning seasons

Cholesterol levels seem to fluctuate significantly with the turning seasons, which may leave some people with borderline high cholesterol at greater cardiovascular risk during the winter months, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

7 Mar 2013

EEG patterns track propofol effects

Researchers have identified electroencephalogram signatures of changes in consciousness caused by propofol.

7 Mar 2013

New study shows experienced surgeons benefit from 3D technology

Until now, physicians have largely been skeptical of the advantages of 3D technology. But this may be about to change: the findings of a new study show that even experienced surgeons stand to benefit from the third dimension.

7 Mar 2013

Insight into how Th17 cell growth influences development of immune responses

New work from the Broad Institute's Klarman Cell Observatory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, MIT, and Yale University expands the understanding of how one type of immune cell - known as a T helper 17 or Th17 cell - develops, and how its growth influences the development of immune responses.

7 Mar 2013

Parietal brain cells sort visual information into categories: Study

A region of the brain known to play a key role in visual and spatial processing has a parallel function: sorting visual information into categories, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Chicago.

7 Mar 2013

University of Sunderland pharmaceutical scientists receive CFUK grant for research into cystinosis

Pharmaceutical scientists at the University of Sunderland have been awarded £125,000 by the Cystinosis Foundation (CF) UK to fund the next stage of their research into a rare genetic disease.

7 Mar 2013

New bedside electronic device can determine the cause of severe dizziness

A bedside electronic device that measures eye movements can successfully determine whether the cause of severe, continuous, disabling dizziness is a stroke or something benign, according to results of a small study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.

6 Mar 2013

Wayne State receives U.S. patent allowance for vision restoration technology

Technology to restore vision through the use of a component of green algae developed by Dr. Zhou-Han Pan, professor and scientific director of the Ligon Research Center of Vision at the Kresge Eye Institute at Wayne State University, and licensed to RetroSense Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing gene therapy approaches to vision restoration, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. patent application (No. 12/299,574).

6 Mar 2013

New research findings could lead to development of effective therapies for anxiety disorders

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have, for the first time, identified a specific group of cells in the brainstem whose activation during rapid eye movement sleep is critical for the regulation of emotional memory processing.

6 Mar 2013

Five green powerhouse foods to help stylize your plate

The energetic and radiant hue of emerald green has been declared the spring color of 2013. While green shirts, pants and jackets will be seen everywhere this season, so should green food on your plate.

6 Mar 2013

Study confirms rapid effectiveness of temporary, nonsurgical alternative to LASIK

A contact lens technique called overnight orthokeratology (OK) brings rapid improvement in vision for nearsighted patients. Now a new study shows that OK treatment works mainly by flattening the front of the cornea, reports a recent study, "Posterior Corneal Shape Changes in Myopic Overnight Orthokeratology", appearing in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

5 Mar 2013

Children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative chemotherapy

New results from a prospective clinical trial conducted in France show that children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative (adjuvant) chemotherapy to prevent disease recurrence or metastasis; the results also suggest that certain patients with intermediate-risk disease can receive less aggressive adjuvant treatment, or perhaps forego it altogether. Avoiding chemotherapy spares patients from treatment side effects and long-term health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and development of a second cancer.

5 Mar 2013

Study identifies how new ALS gene mutations cause other diseases of the brain, muscle and bone

Researchers supported by The ALS Association have discovered how mutations in new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) genes cause not only ALS but also other diseases of the brain, muscle and bone.

4 Mar 2013

Investigators identify seven new genetic regions associated with AMD

An international group of investigators has identified seven new genetic regions associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of blindness in older individuals. The findings, reported online March 3 in Nature Genetics, could point to new biological pathways and therapeutic targets for AMD.

4 Mar 2013