Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Alcohol consumption can cause too much cell death, fetal abnormalities

The initial signs of fetal alcohol syndrome are slight but classic: facial malformations such as a flat and high upper lip, small eye openings and a short nose.

25 Aug 2008

NicOx updates on PF-03187207 and research collaboration with Pfizer

NicOx S.A. has announced the results of a dose-ranging phase 2 study conducted with PF‑03187207 in Japanese patients with glaucoma by its partner Pfizer Inc. PF-03187207 is a nitric oxide-donating prostaglandin analog. The study was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of several doses of PF-03187207 to Xalatan (latanoprost) and enrolled 112 Japanese patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

25 Aug 2008

Scientists engineer first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus

Chemical engineers from Johns Hopkins University have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus - regarded by many as nearly impenetrable - and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research noted in a presentation scheduled for the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

20 Aug 2008

Camera in teddy bear catches carer thieving from sick elderly woman

A carer caught on camera stealing from her sick and elderly client has been sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of theft.

20 Aug 2008

Are your eyes a window to diabetes-related health issues?

Scientists at Aston University in Birmingham, UK are carrying out a unique study using the eyes to detect early signs of health problems which could lead to diabetes, and they're looking for volunteers to help.

19 Aug 2008

New discovery may lead to new drugs to regulate sleep

A team of scientists from Oxford University in the UK have discovered the reason why people feel drowsier in dim lighting and more alert in bright white light.

19 Aug 2008

Symmetry the key to sexual appeal

Scientists say when it comes to searching for a partner, the attraction of a potential mate is all about symmetry.

18 Aug 2008

What makes the human body attractive?

A study by Dr William Brown and colleagues in Brunel University's School of Social Sciences and School of Engineering and Design, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has revealed an explanation for the correlation between attractiveness and bodily characteristics like height, breast size, long legs, broad shoulders or a curvy figure.

18 Aug 2008

Being outdoors good for children's eyesight

Australian researchers have found that children who spend the most time outdoors are least likely to suffer from myopia.

13 Aug 2008

Children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to develop short-sightedness

"The results of this study are consistent with an American study which found that outdoor sport was protective, however our study shows that the crucial feature is being outdoors irrespective of the activity you are doing."

11 Aug 2008

Convenience, cost driving more kids to retail clinics for care

Convenience and lower costs are driving even more parents to seek routine health care for their children - including vaccinations and physicals - at retail clinics in their communities.

11 Aug 2008

COMT gene variation affects fear processing, anxiety

Inborn differences may help explain why trauma gives some people bad memories and others the nightmare of post-traumatic stress. Scientists in Germany and the United States have reported evidence linking genes to anxious behavior. The findings appear in the August issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological Association.

10 Aug 2008

Scientists develop high-performance, hemispherical "eye" camera

By combining stretchable optoelectronics and biologically inspired design, scientists have created a remarkable imaging device, with a layout based on the human eye.

6 Aug 2008

Study compares student performance against environmental pollution

University of Michigan researchers are studying connections between air toxins and K-12 student performance in Michigan - and possibly whether air quality should be a factor when deciding where to build public schools.

30 Jul 2008

A counter to counterfeit drugs

The counterfeiting of medicines has been known of since around 1990 and is a growing problem-in both developing and developed countries. Counterfeit medicines are estimated as more than 10% of the global medicines market and in some developing countries it is thought to be as high as 50%. One prediction is that global counterfeit drug sales will reach $75 billion by 2010.

30 Jul 2008

Researchers link the extreme fatigue in pulmonary fibrosis to loss in body-rejuvenating R.E.M. sleep

Family, friends and neighbors remember Lisa Sandler Spaeth as an active mother of two in Potomac, Md., with a lot on the go, juggling her son's baseball games and her daughter's horseback-riding lessons with numerous committee obligations, organizing women's activities at her local synagogue. Add to this Spaeth's thriving home business turned wholesale supplier - making custom hair accessories for children - which she founded with her mother.

29 Jul 2008

Sleep gene - search is on!

While scientists and physicians know what happens if you don't get six to eight hours of shut-eye a night, investigators have long been puzzled about what controls the actual need for sleep.

29 Jul 2008

Laser therapy more effective than corticosteroids in long term treatment of diabetic macular edema

A promising new drug therapy used to treat abnormal swelling in the eye - a condition called diabetic macular edema - proved less effective than traditional laser treatments in a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

29 Jul 2008

Hyperactive immune resistance brings blindness in old age

Age-dependent macular degeneration (AMD) is the commonest cause of blindness in the western industrialised nations. Hereditary changes in the regulation of the immune system influence the risk of contracting AMD.

24 Jul 2008

Science of magic - understanding human cognition and perception

Magic tricks, like those by Derren Brown and David Blaine, should be studied more closely to gain a deeper knowledge of the way human beings think and act, according to research by British and Canadian psychologists.

22 Jul 2008