Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Testing intensity has greatest influence on COVID-19 transmission

Lacking vaccines, countries have relied on multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions to control COVID-19 transmission.

2 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 D614G mutation does not affect performance of serological assays

In a new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, US researchers considered the emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant. They compared spike G614-based assay to the original D614-based assay – pointing towards the development of recognizable, cross-responsive humoral immunity.

2 Dec 2020

New and sudden headaches may be a symptom of COVID-19

Researchers report a case of a young male patient who came in with a headache to an emergency room. He had increased intracranial pressure and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, suggesting new headaches during the pandemic should not be ignored.

2 Dec 2020

Scientists detect a sarbecovirus phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from bats in Japan

A team of researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have detected a sarbecovirus, called Rc-o319, which is phylogenetically positioned in the same clade as SARS-CoV-2 in Rhinolophus cornutus bats in Japan.

2 Dec 2020

Study provides new insights into an untreatable form of childhood-onset dementia

Is the eye a window to the brain in Sanfilippo syndrome, an untreatable form of childhood-onset dementia, Australian researchers ask in a new publication.

2 Dec 2020

Smiling or grimacing can reduce the pain of needle injection by 40%

The coming of winter means cooler temperatures, shorter days and flu shots. While no one looks forward to a vaccination, a study led by the University of California, Irvine, has found that either a sincere smile or a grimace can reduce the pain of a needle injection by as much as 40 percent.

1 Dec 2020

Cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants may pollute indoor air

Cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants has the potential to pollute the air and pose a health risk, according to research led by University of Saskatchewan.

1 Dec 2020

Study uncovers a promising therapeutic target for retinal dystrophies

A team of LSU Health New Orleans researchers reports for the first time that deleting one of the inhibitors of the RPE65 gene in a mouse model that carries a human disease mutation prevents degeneration of cone photoreceptors that are used for daytime high-resolution color vision.

1 Dec 2020

KU Leuven vaccine candidate works against yellow fever and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Virologists at the Rega Institute at KU Leuven (Belgium) have developed a vaccine candidate against Covid-19 based on the yellow fever vaccine, which as a result also works against yellow fever. Results published today in Nature show that the vaccine protects hamsters from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus after a single dose.

1 Dec 2020

New innovation could restore sight to the blind

Researchers have made significant steps towards developing a brain implant that will restore sight to those affected by visa impairment and blindness.

1 Dec 2020

MIT study shows how the brain is wired for reactive, reflexive movements

When riding your bike to the store you might have two very different reasons to steer: plain old reflex when you something dart into your path, or executive control when you see street signs that indicate the correct route.

1 Dec 2020

Financial symptoms could be used as early predictors of dementia

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors found that Medicare beneficiaries who go on to be diagnosed with dementia are more likely to miss payments on bills as early as six years before a clinical diagnosis.

30 Nov 2020

Researchers find way for customized programming of human stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) have the potential to convert into a wide variety of cell types and tissues for drug testing and cell replacement therapies. However, the "recipes" for this conversion are often complicated and difficult to implement.

30 Nov 2020

Machine learning model uses retinal scans to detect Alzheimer’s disease

A form of artificial intelligence designed to interpret a combination of retinal images was able to successfully identify a group of patients who were known to have Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the approach could one day be used as a predictive tool, according to an interdisciplinary study from Duke University.

30 Nov 2020

Study pinpoints specific areas of the brain where serotonin promotes patience

We've all been there. Whether we're stuck in traffic at the end of a long day, or eagerly anticipating the release of a new book, film or album, there are times when we need to be patient.

27 Nov 2020

MARA project aims to use new DNA based nanotechnology to fight bacteria

Antibiotics are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. They have played a major role in combating infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, typhoid fever, and meningitis in 20th century.

27 Nov 2020

New gene therapy approach offers promise for treating eye disease

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have developed a new gene therapy approach that offers promise for one day treating an eye disease that leads to a progressive loss of vision and affects thousands of people across the globe.

26 Nov 2020

Fruit fly study reveals the effects of microgravity on the heart

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that fruit flies that spent several weeks on the International Space Station (ISS)—about half of their lives—experienced profound structural and biochemical changes to their hearts.

25 Nov 2020

UB researchers uncover new functions in ataxin 3 gene that causes Machado-Joseph disease

Ataxia is a minority disease with genetic origins, known for its neuromuscular alterations due to the selective loss of neurons in the cerebellum, the organ of our nervous systems which controls movement and balance.

25 Nov 2020

Germicidal lamps used to sanitize against COVID-19 may damage the cornea

In a paper published in the journal of Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, physicians from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine reported that several patients using germicidal lamps in an attempt to sanitize against the coronavirus.

25 Nov 2020