Physicists devise gene therapy platform for macular degeneration patients
Millions of adults over age 50 struggle each year with vision loss caused by damage to the retina or common macular degeneration. Physics researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have developed a new platform that uses ultrafast near-infrared lasers to deliver gene therapy to damaged areas of the retina to enable vision restoration… Read More
Researchers discover way to improve image sharpness for blind people with retinal implants
Retinal implants that deliver longer pulses of electrical current may noticeably improve image sharpness for individuals who have lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa, according to a new study by researchers from the USC Eye Institute and USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The research will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine… Read More
Retinal cells work with little reserve energy; may explain vulnerability to eye diseases
Our eyes are especially demanding when it comes to energy: Along with our brain, they require a substantial amount of power to keep them functioning and healthy. Now a new study by the National Eye Institute suggests that because of their high-energy demands, our eyes function at high efficiency and with little reserve capacity, which… Read More
Damage in retinal periphery closely matches loss of blood flow in people with diabetes
Research from the Joslin Diabetes Center’s Beetham Eye Institute demonstrated earlier this year that in people with diabetic retinopathy, the presence of lesions in the periphery of their retina substantially increases the risk that the disease will progress more rapidly. A follow-up study has shown that these peripheral lesions, which are not detected by traditional… Read More
Retinal nerve cells grown in the lab – Work could eventually lead to cell transplants for people blinded by glaucoma
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a method to efficiently turn human stem cells into retinal ganglion cells, the type of nerve cells located within the retina that transmit visual signals from the eye to the brain. Death and dysfunction of these cells cause vision loss in conditions like glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. “Our work could… Read More
How the retina marches to the beat of its own drum
Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington report new research that sheds light on how the retina sets its own biological rhythm using a novel light-sensitive pigment, called neuropsin, found in nerve cells at the back of the eye. “No one knew what neuropsin actually did,” says King-Wai Yau, Ph.D., a professor of… Read More
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month!
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. Glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms in its early stages, and vision loss progresses at such a gradual rate that people affected by the condition are often unaware of it until their sight has already been compromised. During Glaucoma Awareness Month in January, the… Read More
