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Medical Xpress Ophthalmology News Feed
- Gene therapy shows promise in initial trial for patients with childhood blindnessA new gene therapy for one of the most common forms of congenital blindness was safe and improved patients' vision, according to initial data from a clinical trial led by researchers at the Scheie Eye Institute in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Read more »
- Treatment not always needed to prevent vision loss in patients with elevated eye pressureMore than 20 years after the launch of a landmark clinical trial, follow-up examinations and analyses found that not all patients with elevated eye pressure need pressure-lowering treatment to prevent vision loss from glaucoma. Read more »
- Simplified treatment for a cause of sight loss offers savings for hospitals and relief for patientsSimplifying a surgical technique to treat one of the important causes of sight loss around the world could deliver major savings for eye hospitals and help bring the treatment to more patients, according to new research. Read more »
- Glaucoma may be more than just an issue of eye pressureA chemical known to protect nerve cells also slows glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness, results of a new study in rats show. Read more »
- Gene therapy shows promise in treating rare eye disease in miceA gene therapy protects eye cells in mice with a rare disorder that causes vision loss, especially when used in combination with other gene therapies, shows a study published today in eLife. Read more »
- New mechanism identified behind blindness in older adultsUsing laboratory-grown roundworms as well as human and mouse eye tissue, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified a new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness among older adults. The UMSOM researchers say that the findings suggest a new and distinct cause that is different from the previous model of a problematic immune system, showing that the structural organization of the eye's light-detecting cells may be affected by the disease. Read more »
- A single injection reverses blindness in patient with rare genetic disorderA Penn Medicine patient with a genetic form of childhood blindness gained vision, which lasted more than a year, after receiving a single injection of an experimental RNA therapy into the eye. The clinical trial was conducted by researchers at the Scheie Eye Institute in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Results of the case, detailed in a paper published today in Nature Medicine, show that the treatment led to marked changes at the fovea, the… Read more »
- Low to moderate alcohol consumption linked to lower risk of cataractsLow to moderate alcohol consumption appears to be associated with a lower risk of requiring surgery for cataracts, finds a new study led by UCL and Moorfields researchers. Read more »
- Turning back the clock on a severe vision disorderGustavo Aguirre and William Beltran, veterinary ophthalmologists and vision scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, have studied a wide range of different retinal blinding disorders. But the one caused by mutations in the NPHP5 gene, leading to a form of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), is one of the most severe. Read more »
- Preventive treatment reduces diabetic retinopathy complicationsEarly treatment with anti-VEGF injections slowed diabetic retinopathy in a clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network (DRCR.net). However, two years into the four-year study its effect on vision was similar to standard treatment, which usually begins at the onset of late disease. The intermediate findings published today in the JAMA Ophthalmology. The study was supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Read more »
- Type of glaucoma linked to increased risk of cognitive impairmentA type of glaucoma called normal-tension glaucoma is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and possibly dementia, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Read more »
- Lab model offers hope for macular degeneration patientsAge-related macular degeneration (AMD), which leads to a loss of central vision, is the most frequent cause of blindness in adults 50 years of age or older, affecting an estimated 196 million people worldwide. There is no cure, though treatment can slow the onset and preserve some vision. Read more »
- Depression affects visual perceptionResearchers specializing in psychiatry and psychology at the University of Helsinki investigated the effects of depression on visual perception. The study confirmed that the processing of visual information is altered in depressed people, a phenomenon most likely linked with the processing of information in the cerebral cortex. Read more »
- Scientists identify genetic mutation associated with exfoliative syndromeA team of researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), as well as Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), have identified a genetic mutation (functionally defective CYP39A1 gene) associated with exfoliation syndrome, the most common cause of glaucoma. The findings could pave the way for future research on the cause of exfoliation syndrome and potential cures. Their research was published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)… Read more »
- New genetic links found to rare eye diseaseAn analysis of thousands of genomes from people with and without the rare eye disease known as MacTel has turned up more than a dozen gene variants that are likely causing the condition to develop and worsen for a significant share of patients. Read more »
- Scientists develop AI platform to assess blood vessel anomalies and eye diseaseAn international team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that could one day be used in a system to assess vascular diseases, which are characterized by the abnormal condition of blood vessels. Read more »
- Genetic discovery gives insight into causes of eye diseaseA genetic defect could hold the key to preventing or delaying the onset of a debilitating eye disease that can lead to vision loss and blindness. Read more »
- Dry eye disease negatively affects physical and mental health as well as visionPatients suffering from dry eye disease symptoms have a lower quality of life compared to those without symptoms, a new study reports. The findings showed that patients with the condition reported negative effects on visual function, their ability to carry out daily activities and their work productivity. Read more »
- New study links protein causing Alzheimer's disease with common sight lossNewly published research has revealed a close link between proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease and age-related sight loss. The findings could open the way to new treatments for patients with deteriorating vision and through this study, the scientists believe they could reduce the need for using animals in future research into blinding conditions. Read more »
- Soft contact lenses eyed as new solutions to monitor ocular diseasesNew contact lens technology to help diagnose and monitor medical conditions may soon be ready for clinical trials. Read more »
- Retinal implants can give artificial vision to the blindA team of EPFL engineers has developed technology that could partially restore vision in blind people. The study is published in Communications Materials. Read more »
- Genetic study uncovers hidden pieces of 'eye disease puzzle'Scientists have taken a significant step forward in their search for the origin of a progressive eye condition which causes sight loss and can lead to corneal transplant. Read more »
- Bio-based membranes with ocular stem cells to treat corneal disordersThe production, preparation, and use of bacterial nanocellulose as corneal bandages could be the key to help delicate stem cells to migrate to the cornea and heal the eye from a range of ocular disorders. Read more »
- Doctors reverse jumping vision caused by light deprivationGradual exposure to light restored vision to a migraine sufferer who developed miner's nystagmus after an extended period of severe light deprivation, reports a team led by UCL experts. Read more »
- Researchers identify 127 glaucoma genes in largest study of its kindIn the largest genome-wide association study of glaucoma comparing the genes of 34,179 people with the disease to 349,321 control subjects, an international consortium of researchers identified 44 new gene loci and confirmed 83 previously reported loci linked to glaucoma. Loci are considered "genetic street addresses," denoting a specific location on a gene. Read more »