Eye Disease News and Research

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Eye diseases are widespread around the globe. According to the World Health Organization, the most important three eye diseases or conditions that are a potential threat to the global population are diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. One more vital reason for visual harm is refractive errors. Some of the important reasons for vision loss or low vision are age, healthcare, gender, genetic problems and the prevalence of family history.

HITLAB selects five finalists for HITLAB World Cup

HITLAB has selected five finalists for its HITLAB World Cup, an international competition that promotes original solutions to pressing healthcare challenges. The best and brightest in healthcare innovation, the finalists, will present their ideas at the HITLAB Innovators SummitSM on December 4, 2015, at Columbia University's Alfred Lerner Hall.

17 Nov 2015

Cotellic (cobimetinib) approved to be used in combination with vemurafenib for melanoma treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cotellic (cobimetinib) to be used in combination with vemurafenib to treat advanced melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body or can't be removed by surgery, and that has a certain type of abnormal gene (BRAF V600E or V600K mutation).

10 Nov 2015

UCSF scientists identify eye drop chemical that may reverse cataracts

A chemical that could potentially be used in eye drops to reverse cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, has been identified by a team of scientists from UC San Francisco (UCSF), the University of Michigan (U-M), and Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).

6 Nov 2015

Study suggests need for specific treatment options for adolescents with onset type 2 diabetes

New results from the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Youth study (TODAY) examined predictors of the outcomes in youth with onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) based on early characteristics at diagnosis, and suggests the need for specific criteria for adolescents that are different from those in adults.

5 Nov 2015

Allergan signs licensing agreement with Mimetogen to develop, commercialize tavilermide for treatment of dry eye disease

Allergan plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company, to develop and commercialize tavilermide (MIM-D3), a topical formulation of a novel small molecule TrkA agonist for the treatment of dry eye disease.

4 Nov 2015

Study identifies potential new approaches to curing parasitic diseases

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that some forms of the single celled parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and Toxoplasma gondii behave like cancer cells.

3 Nov 2015

Healthy food can help low-income people better control their diabetes

To determine whether healthy food could help low-income people better control their diabetes, a pilot study by UC San Francisco and Feeding America tracked nearly 700 people at food banks in California, Texas and Ohio over two years.

3 Nov 2015

Charles Bonnet syndrome: an interview with Dr. Dominic ffytche

Charles Bonnet syndrome is the name we give to the visual hallucinations associated with eye disease. There are lots of different causes of visual hallucinations. Many different medical problems and medications can cause them, but, when the cause is eye disease, it's referred to as Charles Bonnet Syndrome after Charles Bonnet, who was a natural philosopher in the 18th century.

2 Nov 2015

Saint Louis University ophthalmologist offers tips to manage night vision issues

Owls and cats are at an advantage as the days get darker, but humans may notice their vision takes a hit during their evening commute home as daylight hours shrink.

31 Oct 2015

NYSCF conference to focus on translational stem cell and neuroscience research

The New York Stem Cell Foundation 10th Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference convenes global leaders in translational stem cell and neuroscience research to present their latest work towards new treatments and cures for the most devastating diseases and injuries currently facing the world.

26 Oct 2015

NAM announces election of three new members from UC San Diego School of Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine announced today the election of three new members from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine: Napoleone Ferrara, MD; Christopher K. Glass, MD, PhD; and Roberto Malinow, MD, PhD. Election to NAM is considered among the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

20 Oct 2015

Allergan completes acquisition of AqueSys

Allergan plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of AqueSys, Inc. a clinical-stage medical device company focused on developing ocular implants that reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) associated with glaucoma.

19 Oct 2015

QUT's Professor Joanne Wood wins 'Nobel Prize' of international optometry

One of the world's leading experts on visual impairment, ageing and driving, QUT's Professor Joanne Wood, has won the "Nobel Prize" of international optometry for her work.

15 Oct 2015

Novel ligand peptide-mimic inhibits abnormal overgrowth of blood vessels, may lead to new anti-cancer drugs

An international research team led by scientists at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center discovered and developed a novel ligand peptide-mimic that inhibits abnormal overgrowth of blood vessels in retinal diseases and tumors. The discovery could lead to new drugs that keep cancers from growing. The team published a paper in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

15 Oct 2015

Envisia's ENV515 (travoprost XR) meets primary efficacy endpoint in phase 2a glaucoma trial

Envisia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel extended-release therapies in ophthalmology, today reported results from its first clinical trial of the Company's lead product candidate, ENV515 (travoprost XR).

6 Oct 2015

Matricellular proteins may be key therapeutic targets for common ocular disorders

A special issue of Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics highlights the latest research on matricellular proteins, which play a critical role in inflammation and blood vessel formation in the eye and therefore making them key targets for new therapies to treat common ocular disorders such as glaucoma, dry eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

23 Sep 2015

AMD Alliance hosts webinar to promote awareness and knowledge about macular disease

14 – 20 September marks global AMD Awareness Week 2015. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease which is the leading cause of blindness in over 50s globally.

16 Sep 2015

Healthy diet and exercise can protect against AMD

People with a genetic predisposition for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) significantly increased their odds of developing the blinding eye disorder if they had a history of heavy smoking and consistently did not exercise or eat enough fruits and vegetables, according to an observational study of women funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

16 Sep 2015

Scientists elucidate genetic interaction that may prove key to development, progression of glaucoma

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have elucidated a genetic interaction that may prove key to the development and progression of glaucoma, a blinding neurodegenerative disease that affects tens of millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.

11 Sep 2015

NEI experts explore long-term effects of Ebola on the eye

Following the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that took the lives of more than 11,200 people in the region, the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has deployed a team of clinicians and technical experts to Monrovia, Liberia to investigate the long-term effects of Ebola on the eye.

9 Sep 2015