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 … [Read more...]
Avalanche Biotechnologies and Annapurna Therapeutics Announce Proposed Merger
Avalanche Biotechnologies, Inc. (“Avalanche”) (AAVL) and Annapurna Therapeutics SAS (“Annapurna”), a privately held biopharmaceutical company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement providing for the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Annapurna by Avalanche in exchange for approximately 17.6 million newly issued shares of Avalanche common stock. Upon completion … [Read more...]
Scientists find a way to ‘shrink’ blind spot in human eye
The optic nerve that sends visual signals to the brain must pass through the retina which creates a hole in that light-sensitive layer of tissue. When images project to that precise location, we miss them. This blind spot can be ‘shrunk’ despite the fact that the hole in our visual field cannot be. The findings raise the possibility that similar methods might improve vision in people with … [Read more...]
Bio Matters: Family influences led eyecro’s executive into scientific research
Rafal Farjo, Ph.D. is chief operating officer of both eyecro and Charlesson, which are involved in research to advance treatments for eye disease such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and ocular inflammation. Far from resisting his family’s interest in all things STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — Farjo embraced it. “I loved it, and I actually started … [Read more...]