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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 tissue. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Ophthalmology/GeneralOphthalmology/32011
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…
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…
Retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding eye disease that is caused by the same genetic defect in both dogs and humans, was successfully corrected by a University of Pennsylvania research team that used gene therapy in afflicted dogs. The retinitis pigmentosa cure holds promise for eventual treatment in humans as well. Both humans and dogs can contract…
Researchers reporting in the January issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, have identified adult stem cells of the central nervous system in a single layer of cells at the back of the eye. That cell layer, known as the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), underlies and supports photoreceptors in the light-sensitive retina. Without…