Retina protein that may help conquer blindness discovered
Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence, discovered a protein in the retina that is crucial for vision. The paper reports, for the first time, the key molecular mechanisms leading to visual degeneration and blindness. The research reveals events that may… Read More
Receptor that helps protect brain cells has important role in support cells for the retina
A receptor that is already a target for treating neurodegenerative disease also appears to play a key role in supporting the retina, scientists report. Without sigma 1 receptor, the Müller cells that support the retina can’t seem to control their own levels of destructive oxidative stress, and consequently can’t properly support the millions of specialized… Read More
Microtubule ‘roadway’ in the retina helps provide energy for vision
Researchers have discovered a thick band of microtubules in certain neurons in the retina that they believe acts as a transport road for mitochondria that help provide energy required for visual processing. The findings appear in the July issue of The Journal of General Physiology. The retina is a layer of tissue in the back… Read More
Light in sight: A step towards a potential therapy for acquired blindness
Hereditary blindness caused by a progressive degeneration of the light-sensing cells in the eye, the photoreceptors, affects millions of people worldwide. Although the light-sensing cells are lost, cells in deeper layers of the retina, which normally cannot sense light, remain intact. A promising new therapeutic approach based on a technology termed “optogenetics” is to introduce… Read More
New nanotechnology drug to control blindness
The Mexican company “Medical and Surgical Center for Retina” created a way to transport drugs, in order to avoid risks and painful treatments in people with secondary blindness due to chronic degenerative blindness such as diabetic retinopathy and degeneration of the eye. The innovative formula results eliminates the need to administrate the drug by intraocular… Read More
Eye’s motion detection sensors identified
Driving a car at 40 mph, you see a child dart into the street. You hit the brakes. Disaster averted. But how did your eyes detect that movement? It’s a question that has confounded scientists. Now, studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have an answer: A neural circuit in… Read More
Lanosterol revealed clues for cataract prevention and treatment
On July 30, 2015, researchers from Sichuan University, Sun Yat-sen University, University of California, BGI, etc, reported the latest study on congenitalcataracts. The finding, published on Nature, identifies lanosterol as a key molecule in the prevention of lens protein aggregation and points to a novel strategy for cataract prevention and treatment. Cataracts are the most… Read More
Cataract culprits: Genes linked to cataract formation identified
When cataracts encroach on the eyes, the only effective remedy is to surgically replace the eyes’ lenses with synthetic substitutes. But what if scientists found a way to delay or prevent cataracts from forming in the first place? Researchers at the University of Delaware may have found such an opportunity by identifying the prime suspects… Read More
