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
Eye diseases identified by how we watch TV
One of the leading causes of blindness worldwide could be detected by how our eyes respond to watching TV according to a new study from researchers at City University London. The researchers, who were funded by the UK charity Fight for Sight, found that they could identify diseases such as glaucoma by looking at maps… Read More
Major cause of blindness linked to calcium deposits in the eye
Microscopic spheres of calcium phosphate have been linked to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness, by UCL-led research. AMD affects 1 in 5 people over 75, causing their vision to slowly deteriorate, but the cause of the most common form of the disease remains a mystery.* The ability to… Read More
Laser treatment reverses effects of early age-related macular degeneration
A new technique reported in the February 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal suggests that during early stages, it might be possible to reverse age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness that is currently irreversible. The treatment involving a nanosecond laser may also have further implications for other eye diseases such as diabetic macular… Read More
Human eye can see ‘invisible’ infrared light
Any science textbook will tell you we can’t see infrared light. Like X-rays and radio waves, infrared light waves are outside the visual spectrum. But an international team of researchers co-led by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that under certain conditions, the retina can sense infrared light after… Read More
