Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Stages of sleep have distinct influence on process of learning and memory

Research on the sleeping brain has revealed some fascinating stage-dependent interactions between areas involved in formation and storage of long term memories.

25 Feb 2009

Researchers find evidence for precise communication across brain areas during sleep

By listening in on the chatter between neurons in various parts of the brain, researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have taken steps toward fully understanding just how memories are formed, transferred, and ultimately stored in the brain--and how that process varies throughout the various stages of sleep.

25 Feb 2009

Aton Pharma acquires Timoptic product line from Merck & Co

Aton Pharma, Inc., a diversified specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced it has acquired the U.S. marketing rights to the Timoptic product line from Merck & Co., Inc. Timoptic (timolol maleate) is a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent indicated for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.

25 Feb 2009

Anti-cancer gene discovered

Starting with the tiny fruit fly, and then moving into mouse and human patients, researchers at VIB connected to the Center for Human Genetics (K.U. Leuven) showed that the same gene suppresses cancer in all three.

25 Feb 2009

Vitamins B6 and B12 plus folic acid may reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration in women

Taking a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid appears to decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration in women, according to a report in the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Feb 2009

Why we turn gray

A team of European scientists have finally solved a mystery that has perplexed humans throughout the ages: why we turn gray.

23 Feb 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation launches "Stay Negative" HIV testing campaign

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) , which operates the largest community-based alternative HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing program in California, has launched an innovative and eye-catching Los Angeles-area HIV prevention and testing campaign urging the public to "Stay Negative" and to visit www.freehivtest.net to find out where to get tested quickly, conveniently and at no cost.

23 Feb 2009

Suppressing cancer with a master control gene

Starting with the tiny fruit fly and then moving into mice and humans, researchers at VIB and K. U. Leuven show that expression of the same gene suppresses cancer in all three organisms. Reciprocally, switching off the gene - called Ato in flies and ATOH1 in mammals - leads to cancer.

23 Feb 2009

Echoes discovered in early visual brain areas play role in working memory

Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered that early visual areas, long believed to play no role in higher cognitive functions such as memory, retain information previously hidden from brain studies.

20 Feb 2009

New technology could save vision of millions

In the blink of an eye, people at risk of becoming blind can now be screened for eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

18 Feb 2009

GlaxoSmithKline starts phase III trial of Syncria (albiglutide) type 2 diabetes medication

GlaxoSmithKline has announced initiation and dosing of the first patient of the Phase III clinical trial programme to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the investigational GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide 1) agonist Syncria (albiglutide) in men and women with type 2 diabetes.

18 Feb 2009

Cells with double vision

In comparison to many other living creatures, flies tend to be small and their brains, despite their complexity, are quite manageable.

18 Feb 2009

About one-fifth of children with hearing loss also have eye disorders

About one-fifth of children with sensorineural hearing loss also have ocular disorders, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

17 Feb 2009

Molecules self-assemble to provide new therapeutic treatments

Researchers in the laboratory of Samuel I. Stupp at Northwestern University have an interesting approach for tackling some major health problems: gather raw materials and then let them self-assemble into structures that can address a multitude of medical needs.

16 Feb 2009

New insights into human genetic makeup

Genetic diseases and genetically mixed populations can help researchers understand human diversity and human origins according to a Penn State physical anthropologist.

16 Feb 2009

Higher blood sugar levels linked to lower brain function in diabetics

Results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues show that cognitive functioning abilities drop as average blood sugar levels rise in people with type 2 diabetes.

16 Feb 2009

Cellular changes in the sleeping brain promote the formation of memories

If you ever argued with your mother when she told you to get some sleep after studying for an exam instead of pulling an all-nighter, you owe her an apology, because it turns out she's right.

15 Feb 2009

2 genes influence social behavior, visual-spatial performance in people with Williams syndrome

Unraveling the genetics of social behavior and cognitive abilities, researchers at the University of Utah and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have traced the role of two genes,GTF2I and GTF2IRD, in a rare genetic disorder known as Williams Syndrome.

11 Feb 2009

Lots of exercise may help prevent vision loss

There's another reason to dust off those running shoes. Vigorous exercise may help prevent vision loss, according to a pair of studies from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

10 Feb 2009