Diabetic retinopathy — an eye condition that affects people with diabetes — is the fastest growing cause of blindness, with nearly 415 million diabetic patients at risk worldwide. The disease can be treated if detected early, but if not, it can lead to irreversible blindness. A few years ago, a Google research team began studying whether machine learning could be used to screen for diabetic …
blindness
Curing blindness by repairing corneas with invisible films
The University of Melbourne–lead team of researchers have grown corneal cells on a layer of film that can be implanted in the eye to help the cornea heal itself. They have successfully restored vision in animal trials and are aiming to move to human trials next year. "The hydrogel film we have developed allows us to grow a layer of corneal cells in the laboratory," says Berkay. "Then, we can …
Gene-based agents for the treatment of congenital eye diseases
Pharmacologists at LMU have developed gene-based agents for the treatment of congenital eye diseases. The first of these is now undergoing a phase-I clinical trial in color-blind patients at the University Medical Center in Tübingen. Is this approach translatable in principle to other visual disorders? Michalakis: About 200 genes have been identified which, when mutated, lead to monogenetic …
Activation of the molecular chaperone, sigma 1 receptor, preserves cone function in a murine model of inherited retinal degeneration.
Retinal degenerative diseases are major causes of untreatable blindness, and novel approaches to treatment are being sought actively. Here we explored the activation of a unique protein, sigma 1 receptor (Sig1R), in the treatment of PRC loss because of its multifaceted role in cellular survival. We used Pde6βrd10 (rd10) mice, which harbor a mutation in the rod-specific phosphodiesterase gene …
Intraocular therapy prevents or reverses diabetic retinopathy in mice
Pathologic changes of the retina caused by diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working adults. Diabetic retinopathy has no known cure, treatment options are inadequate, and prevention strategies offer limited protection. In the first of its kind, a report in The American Journal of Pathology describes a potential new intraocular treatment based on manipulating the renin angiotensin …
Retinal Remodeling And Metabolic Alterations in Human AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive retinal degeneration resulting in central visual field loss, ultimately causing debilitating blindness. While many genetic and environmental risk factors are known for AMD, we currently know less about the mechanisms mediating disease progression. The goal of this article is to illustrate cell types impacted in AMD and demonstrate the …
Nerve Injury Appears to be Root of Diabetes-related Vision Loss
Diabetes-related vision loss most often is blamed on blood vessel damage in and around the retina, but new research indicates that much of that vision loss may result from nerve cell injury that occurs long before any blood vessels are damaged. After three months on a high-fat diet, the animals had developed obesity-related glucose intolerance, and by six months, they had nerve problems in the …
RetroSense Therapeutics to Present at the 8th Ocular Diseases Drug Discovery Conference
RetroSense Therapeutics is a privately-held biotechnology company developing life-enhancing gene therapies designed to restore vision in patients suffering from blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (advanced dry-AMD). RetroSense is developing optogenetic approaches to partial vision restoration in retinitis pigmentosa and potentially dry …
Macular Degeneration Association Issues Urgent Supplement Warning for Patients
The Macular Degeneration Association, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing blindness, today issued an urgent warning to patients suffering from a form of the disease known as “intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration.” MDA leaders and ophthalmologists are advising patients to talk with their doctors about a proven and commonly prescribed vitamin supplement containing zinc, an ingredient …
Smart Contact Lens Helps Predict Disease Progression in Glaucoma Patients
A contact lens with a built-in sensor could help determine which glaucoma patients have a higher risk of disease progression, according to a new study. Glaucoma remains a leading cause of blindness. One of the main indicators of the disease is high pressure in the eye, or intraocular pressure. Researchers at Columbia tested the lenses on 40 patients between ages 40 and 89 undergoing treatment …