Researchers believe that atomic-scale design of pharmaceuticals will be instrumental in producing more accurate and efficient drugs. Nanocarriers are engineered particles capable of holding tiny molecules inside their hollow interiors. Antibodies, which are bonded to the outer surface of these nanocarriers, function as markers to target specific cells or tissues or supply drugs to infected cells …
News
Nanotechnology Paves the Way for Advances in Genome Sequencing
The first human genome sequencing was accomplished after 13 painstaking years of research at the cost of $3 billion. But recent advances in sequencing technology holds promise of rapid increase in speed of sequencing at the rate of 6 billion nucleotide bases every 6 h at a cost below $1000. http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=24912 …
Optic Nerve Regeneration in Mice Linked to Improved Vision
Interventions resulting in optic nerve regeneration restored some components of vision, according to the results of a mouse model study published online May 21 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. If these findings are confirmed and extended to other models, they may ultimately offer promise to patients with glaucoma or optic nerve damage. This study used an optic nerve …
Cell transplant restores sight in mice
Experimental cell transplants can improve the sight of visually impaired mice, it has been widely reported. The Independent called the research behind the news a “major step towards cure for blindness”, while The Guardian said the work is “the first demonstration that cell transplants can restore useful vision”. During the research, scientists used mice bred to lack working light-sensitive “rod …
Transplanted Rod Precursor Cells Restore Vision in Experimental Mice
Studies in mouse models of night blindness have demonstrated that vision can be restored by transplanting rod precursor cells taken from mouse neonates directly into the retina of recipient animals. The University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology-led team showed that the transplanted rod cells made synaptic connections with the existing retinal circuitry, were light responsive, and …
Scientists report major breakthrough in age-related macular degeneration prevention
Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered that a part of the immune system called the inflammasome is involved in regulating the development of one of the most common forms of blindness, called Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). They have discovered that controlling an inflammatory component IL-18, in cases of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) could prevent the development of …
‘Positive Stress’ Helps Protect Eye from Glaucoma
Researchers increased the resistance of cells to damage by repeatedly exposing the mice to low levels of oxygen similar to those found at high altitudes. The stress of the intermittent low-oxygen environment induces a protective response called tolerance that makes nerve cells -- including those in the eye -- less vulnerable to harm. Stress is typically thought of as a negative phenomenon, but …
Quinolones Tied to Detached Retina
Among patients who visited an ophthalmologist over an 8-year period, those with a current prescription for a fluoroquinolone were 4.5 times more likely to have a retinal detachment...The mechanism underlying the association is unknown but is presumed to be related to the destructive effects of fluoroquinolones on collagen and connective …
SDM Photocoagulation Superior to Intravitreal Injections of BCZ in the Treatment of CSC
A recent study was conducted to evaluate the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) with either subthreshold diode laser MicroPulse (SDM) or intravitreal bevacizumab (BCZ). The study was conducted over a period of 10 months and examined 52 eyes of 52 patients with (a) treatment with SDM at the active leakage site guided by fluorescein angiography (FA) (n=16 eyes), (b) intravitreal …
Aging of Eyes Is Blamed for Range of Health Woes
For decades, scientists have looked for explanations as to why certain conditions occur with age, among them memory loss, slower reaction time, insomnia and even depression. They have scrupulously investigated such suspects as high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and an inactive lifestyle. Now a fascinating body of research supports a largely unrecognized culprit: the aging of the …