Vision Loss News and Research

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Researchers working towards developing novel stem cell approaches for glaucoma

There is great interest among glaucoma patients, scientists and doctors alike, in discovering regenerative therapies for the optic nerve and translating them from the laboratory to the clinic -; and stem cell therapy is one of several promising approaches being studied.

16 Jun 2017

Scientists identify genetic risk factor for equine squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common cancer found in equine eyes and the second most common tumor of the horse overall. Thanks to a recent genetic study led by UC Davis, horse owners can now identify horses at risk for ocular SCC and make informed breeding decisions.

25 May 2017

Electrical stimulation of the brain may help preserve visual neurons from cell death after injury

Electrical stimulation of the brain by applying current to the eye may help retinal nerve cells to survive injury. While these neurons may not be restored to full function, they are prevented from dying. But to achieve survival, their interconnections, the dendritic tree, needs to disconnect rapidly for the protective action to unfold.

18 May 2017

Experimental gene therapy proven safe for preserving vision of people with AMD

In a small and preliminary clinical trial, Johns Hopkins researchers and their collaborators have shown that an experimental gene therapy that uses viruses to introduce a therapeutic gene into the eye is safe and that it may be effective in preserving the vision of people with wet age-related macular degeneration.

17 May 2017

Age-related macular degeneration could be arrested by switching to low-glycemic diet, study finds

A study in mice finds that development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could be arrested by switching from a high-glycemic diet (starches as are found in white bread) to a low-glycemic (starches found in whole grains).

16 May 2017

Large source of real-time data provides insight into treatment for vision-threatening condition

For most people, being nearsighted is a nuisance, easily treated with a prescription for glasses or contact lenses. But some experience a complication that can cause permanent blindness.

11 May 2017

Two widely used drugs show effectiveness in treating patients with CRVO-associated macular edema

Monthly eye injections of Avastin (bevacizumab) are as effective as the more expensive drug Eylea (aflibercept) for the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion, according to a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 May 2017

Study: Systemic therapy preserves vision of uveitis patients better than intraocular implant

Systemic therapy consisting of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants preserved vision of uveitis patients better - and had fewer adverse outcomes - than a long-lasting corticosteroid intraocular implant, according to a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute.

9 May 2017

Machine learning algorithm can help predict progression of age-related macular degeneration

Scientists have demonstrated that a machine learning algorithm, using images of patients' retinas obtained over time, can predict the critical moment when early or intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will progress into severe AMD.

8 May 2017

Study finds effective treatment approach for preserving long-term vision in patients with severe uveitis

Researchers comparing leading treatment approaches for patients with severe uveitis have discovered that systemic therapy with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppression can preserve or improve vision in the long term better than regional implant therapy can.

8 May 2017

Researchers identify biomarker that could predict disease severity in glaucoma patients

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, most often is diagnosed during a routine eye exam. Over time, elevated pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. Unfortunately, there's no way to accurately predict which patients might lose vision most rapidly.

4 May 2017

Healthy Vision Month: NEI focuses on women’s eye health

May is Healthy Vision Month when the National Eye Institute encourages everyone to make eye health a priority. This message is especially important for women, who make up two-thirds of all people living with blindness or visual impairment from diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataract.

29 Apr 2017

Study finds underdiagnoses of age-related macular degeneration in primary eye care

Approximately 25 percent of eyes deemed to be normal based on dilated eye examination by a primary eye care ophthalmologist or optometrist had macular characteristics that indicated age-related macular degeneration, according to a study published by JAMA Ophthalmology.

28 Apr 2017

Researchers find way to use artificial intelligence to combat diabetic retinopathy

Researchers from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University have found a way to use artificial intelligence to fight a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. This advance has the potential to reduce the worldwide rate of vision loss due to diabetes.

28 Apr 2017

FDA approves first drug for treating rare form of Batten disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Brineura (cerliponase alfa) as a treatment for a specific form of Batten disease. Brineura is the first FDA-approved treatment to slow loss of walking ability in symptomatic pediatric patients 3 years of age and older with late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2), also known as tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP1) deficiency.

27 Apr 2017

Many studies overlook hearing loss when assessing doctor-patient communication

Doctors believe that communication with those under their care is important, but most studies of communication between physicians and older adults do not mention that hearing loss may affect this interaction. The findings come from a review published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

26 Apr 2017

Analysis finds high infection rates with contact lens than with LASIK to correct vision

Which causes fewer eye infections - contact lens wear or LASIK surgery? While traditionally contacts were thought to be safer than a surgical procedure, an analysis by ophthalmologists from the Hamilton Eye Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center indicates otherwise.

21 Apr 2017