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
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
