Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Global measles cases increase to 869,770 in 2019

Measles surged worldwide in 2019 reaching highest number of reported cases in 23 years. Highlighted in a publication by the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles cases worldwide increased to 869,770 in 2019, the highest number reported since 1996 with increases in all WHO regions.

12 Nov 2020

Pioneering stem cell research may help restore sight to people with macular diseases

Eye research charity Fight for Sight has announced funding for a ground-breaking stem cell research study which could reverse sight loss for people with macular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and juvenile macular dystrophies.

12 Nov 2020

Researchers discover undescribed population of neurons that help control eye movements

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have discovered a previously undescribed population of neurons that help control our eyes as they view in three-dimensional space.

11 Nov 2020

Five important questions about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer's announcement on Monday that its COVID-19 shot appears to keep nine in 10 people from getting the disease sent its stock price rocketing. Many news reports described the vaccine as if it were our deliverance from the pandemic, even though few details were released.

11 Nov 2020

Study: Sleep loss hijacks the brain's ability to unlearn fear-related memories

Sleep is crucial for consolidating our memories, and sleep deprivation has long been known to interfere with learning and memory.

11 Nov 2020

Single clinical laboratory test can rapidly detect serious infections

UC San Francisco scientists have developed a single clinical laboratory test capable of zeroing in on the microbial miscreant afflicting patients hospitalized with serious infections in as little as six hour.

11 Nov 2020

Study finds diabetes epidemic among Xavante indigenous community in Central Brazil

The Xavante, one of the indigenous communities most vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil, are suffering from an epidemic of diabetes, a "silent" disease considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19.

10 Nov 2020

Semi-automated approach accelerates artificial organoid growth and selection

The method currently used to produce stem cell-derived tissues has a very limited throughput. By semi-automating tissue differentiation, researchers from MIPT and Harvard have made the process nearly four times faster, without compromising on quality.

10 Nov 2020

New machine learning method can decode brain signal patterns for specific behaviors

At any given moment in time, our brain is involved in various activities. For example, when typing on a keyboard, our brain not only dictates our finger movements but also how thirsty we feel at that time.

10 Nov 2020

Japanese woman diagnosed with frosted branch angiitis

Leukemias and lymphomas are life-threatening malignancies affecting white blood cells and the immune system; fortunately, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, combined with stem cell therapy, can improve survival significantly.

10 Nov 2020

Researchers to develop new optogenetic tools for biology and medicine

The European Research Council (ERC) is providing 10 million euros in funding for an interdisciplinary, collaborative project in the structural and biophysical analysis of selected photoreceptors and their development into "OptoGPCRs", light-controlled molecular switches with a wide range of applications in biology and medicine.

8 Nov 2020

New strategy shows promises for treating RNA-repeat expansion disorders

A new strategy for treating a variety of diseases known as RNA-repeat expansion disorders, which affect millions of people, has shown promise in proof-of-principle tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

8 Nov 2020

Study highlights racial disparities in the care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A new study reveals that Black patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were less likely to be prescribed a biologic treatment and more likely to use glucocorticoids, which carry a risk of serious long-term side effects.

6 Nov 2020

How escalating COVID cases forced one state to change its masking strategy

In Montana's conservative Flathead County, prosecutors and local leaders were turning a blind eye to businesses that flouted state mask and social distancing mandates, even as the area's COVID infections climbed to their highest levels.

6 Nov 2020

Rapid rise in CRP levels predicts COVID-19 outcomes

Predicting the course of a COVID-19 patient's disease after hospital admission is essential to improving treatment.

6 Nov 2020

World Health Assembly to discuss plan for addressing COVID-19 response and critical health goals

As health leaders prepare to gather for a virtual session of the resumed 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA), WHO has three messages to share.

5 Nov 2020

Scientists use gene therapy to regenerate damaged optic nerve fibers

Scientists have used gene therapy to regenerate damaged nerve fibers in the eye, in a discovery that could aid the development of new treatments for glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.

5 Nov 2020

Illustrations by Nigerian artist kickstart debate on neglected tropical disease

Illustrations by a local artist in Nigeria are helping health workers and policy makers understand what it's really like to live with a neglected tropical disease (NTD).

5 Nov 2020

Eye's cornea can resist infection from novel coronavirus

New findings from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest the eye's cornea can resist infection from the novel coronavirus.

3 Nov 2020

Poisoning exposures appear to be increasing in Australian schools

New research from the University of Sydney has found poisoning exposures in children and adolescents while at school are relatively common and appear to be increasing, highlighting the need for more robust prevention measures.

3 Nov 2020