Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Oxytocin hormone improves social behavior in autistic patients

Autism is a disease characterized by difficulties in communicating effectively with other people and developing social relationships. The team led by Angela Sirigu at the Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive (CNRS) has shown that the inhalation of oxytocin, a hormone known to promote mother-infant bonds and social relationships, significantly improved the abilities of autistic patients to interact with other individuals.

17 Feb 2010

TKS4 protein plays significant role in Frank-Ter Haar syndrome

An international team of investigators at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham, formerly Burnham Institute for Medical Research), Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences and other organizations have discovered that TKS4, a protein implicated in cancer metastasis, also plays a significant role in Frank-Ter Haar syndrome (FTHS), a rare fatal disorder.

17 Feb 2010

Researchers use model organism to test new therapies for retinal degeneration

Research by Johns Hopkins sensory biologists studying fruit flies, has revealed a critical step in fly vision. Humans with problems in this same step suffer retinal dystrophies, which manifest as visual defects ranging from mild visual impairments to complete blindness.

16 Feb 2010

Digestive care expert Brenda Watson's website discusses bowel movements and underlying health

Digestive Care Expert Brenda Watson’s new website takes a different look at poop with “The Poop Chronicles,” an eye-opening discussion about what our bowel movements really say about our underlying health. Combining practical information with light-hearted humor, the Poop Chronicles are chock full of digestive wisdom. For example, in the world of healthy poop, size does matter.

16 Feb 2010

Nascent symptoms of autism in infants emerge during latter part of first year of life

A study of the development of autism in infants, comparing the behavior of the siblings of children diagnosed with autism to that of babies developing normally, has found that the nascent symptoms of the condition - a lack of shared eye contact, smiling and communicative babbling - are not present at 6 months, but emerge gradually and only become apparent during the latter part of the first year of life.

16 Feb 2010

'Crowding' helps see things better

'Crowding', the phenomenon when people are less able to differentiate letters if they are surrounded by other letters, actually leads to better vision. This is the conclusion of Dr Frans Cornelissen, who together with Dr Ronald van den Berg and Prof. Jos Roerdink is the first to succeed in explaining crowding with a mathematical model. 'At this moment in time our model is mainly interesting in a fundamental sense', says Cornelissen. 'In the long term, however, it may acquire practical applications, for example when designing learning material for children with dyslexia.'

16 Feb 2010

Botulinum injection used for cosmetic purposes may reduce migraine headaches

A preliminary study suggests the same type of botulinum injection used for cosmetic purposes may be associated with reduced frequency of migraine headaches that are described as crushing, vicelike or eye-popping (ocular), but not pain that is experienced as a buildup of pressure inside the head, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Feb 2010

Two families having premature baby visit White House to share their inspiring stories with President Obama

Two families who know all too well the trauma of having a baby born prematurely visited the White House today to share their inspiring stories with President Obama. The Hall family from Leesburg, Va., and the Hoffman family from Weston, Fla., are ambassadors for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit foundation that works to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality.

15 Feb 2010

Study shows severe OSA suppresses cognitive experience of nightmare recall

A study in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) report a significantly lower frequency of nightmares than patients with mild or no sleep apnea, indicating that OSA suppresses the cognitive experience of nightmare recall.

15 Feb 2010

Diabetic retinopathy: 5.3M U.S adults suffer

Despite major progress in diagnosis and treatment, diabetic retinopathy remains the major cause of blindness in adults under 60 in the U.S., said Thomas C. Lee, director, Retina Institute in The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and attending physician at Doheny Eye Institute.

12 Feb 2010

Smart Holograms launches new Verif-EYE bio-optical, interactive visual sensor

Today, Smart Holograms, a UK-Based Technology Company, announced the commercial availability of its new Verif-EYE™ bio-optical, interactive visual sensor that allows consumers to ‘self validate’ their purchases prior to consumption or use to ensure the product is genuine and tamper-free.

12 Feb 2010

ASU scientists develop versatile DNA reader to unlock DNA genetic code

Arizona State University scientists have come up with a new twist in their efforts to develop a faster and cheaper way to read the DNA genetic code. They have developed the first, versatile DNA reader that can discriminate between DNA's four core chemical components⎯the key to unlocking the vital code behind human heredity and health.

12 Feb 2010

Cancer drug could be effective for treating recurrent nose bleeds

Patients suffering from hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), an inherited vascular condition characterized by profuse nosebleeds, may find hope in a cancer-fighting drug called bevacizumab, also known as Avastin.

12 Feb 2010

pSivida reports consolidated net loss of $24,000 for quarter ended December 31, 2009

pSivida Corp. , a drug delivery company with two of the only three ophthalmic sustained release delivery products approved by the FDA for treatment of back-of-the-eye diseases, today announced financial results for its second quarter and six months ended December 31, 2009.

12 Feb 2010

Therapeutic cell types obtained from iPS cells demonstrate abnormal expansion and early cellular aging

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. or “ACT” reported that a range of therapeutic cell types obtained from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging. The research, which appears online (published-ahead-of- print) in the journal STEM CELLS by ACT and its collaborators at Stem International (SCRMI), Harvard Medical School, and the University of Illinois, compares a variety of replacement cell types derived from human iPS cells with their embryonic stem (ES) cell counterparts. The findings support the use of ACT’s single blastomere-derived human embryonic stem cell lines which do not display early aging.

12 Feb 2010

Scientists uncover new gene that could help save sight of patients with inherited blindness

The international research team led by the University of Leeds found that the TSPAN12 gene is faulty in patients with a disease known as FEVR (Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy), which affects the development of the eye.

12 Feb 2010

Alcon reports 2009 fourth quarter results

Alcon, Inc. reported that global sales rose 14.5 percent to $1.72 billion for the fourth quarter of 2009, or an 8.5 percent increase excluding the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations. Reported net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2009 grew 8.0 percent to $458 million, or $1.51 per diluted share.

11 Feb 2010

hESC and iPSC: Long-term stem cell evaluation and comparison study

For the first time, scientists have performed a detailed long-term evaluation and comparison of two different types of pluripotent stem cells: human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and induced pluripotency stem cells (iPSC). Both cell types are believed to share equal characteristics, abilities and potential to differentiate into nearly 220 different cell types. However, hESC are isolated from early human embryos and iPSC are derived from reprogrammed adult somatic cells which makes them less controversial.

11 Feb 2010

Therapeutic cell types obtained from iPS cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported that a range of therapeutic cell types obtained from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells exhibit abnormal expansion and early cellular aging.

11 Feb 2010

LUHS nurses earn professional certifications

Several Loyola University Health System (LUHS) nurses have earned professional certifications in their clinical areas of expertise. This indicates that LUHS nurses meet strong professional development standards and competencies.

11 Feb 2010