retinal disease

Retina transplants show promise in patients with retinal degeneration

harminka — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:42:35 -0500

Preliminary research shows encouraging results with transplantation of retinal cells in patients with blindness caused by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a report in the August issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology.

MicroRNAs appear essential for retinal health

harminka — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:03:52 -0500

Retinas in newborn mice appear perfectly fine without any help from tiny bits of genetic material called microRNAs except for one thing — the retinas do not work.

Gene therapy improves vision in patients with congenital retinal disease

harminka — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:27:22 -0500

In a clinical trial at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers from The University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight, the preliminary results set the stage for further studies of an innovative treatment for this and possibly other retinal diseases.

Scientists learn a class of retinal cells in mice

harminka — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:43:15 -0500

Harvard University researchers have discovered a new type of retinal cell that plays an exclusive and unusual role in mice: detecting upward motion. The cells reflect their function in the physical arrangement of their dendrites, branch-like structures on neuronal cells that form a communicative network with other dendrites and neurons in the brain.

Fruit fly phlebotomy holds neuroscience promise

harminka — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:33:54 -0500

Drawing blood from a fruit fly may only be slightly easier than getting it from a proverbial stone or turnip, but success could provide substantial benefits for neuroscientists.

Scientists successfully awaken sleeping stem cells

harminka — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:50:25 -0500

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered what chemical in the eye triggers the dormant capacity of certain non-neuronal cells to transform into progenitor cells, a stem-like cell that can generate new retinal cells.

European clinical trial for Argus II retinal implant

harminka — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:58:07 -0600

USC and Second Sight Medical Products Inc, leading developers of retinal prostheses for treating blindness, announced today that they have completed enrollment of the first phase of a U.S .FDA approved clinical study of the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. They also announced that enrollment at key European sites is underway as studies continue in Mexico.

Researchers query FDA about updating requirements for drug approval

harminka — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:30:05 -0600

Scientists and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are discussing how new technologies in ophthalmology, which make it possible to collect better data about experimental treatments, might affect FDA clinical trials requirements.

Transporters may help delay diabetes-related retinal damage

harminka — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:09:34 -0600

Two transporters that deliver alternative energy sources to the eye may help delay retinal damage that can occur in diabetes, researchers say.

Blind mice shed light on human sight loss

harminka — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:02:39 -0600

Mutant mice could provide genetic clues to understanding incurable human sight loss resulting from retinal degeneration. Research published in the online open access journal Genome Biology uncovers a role for microRNA in retinal disease, and may point the way to future therapies.

How brain sends eyeballs bouncing

harminka — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:49:21 -0600

All vision, including reading this sentence, depends on a constant series of infinitesimal jumps by the eyeball that centers the retina on target objects—words or phrases in the case of reading.

Helping retinal patients detect vision loss quickly and cheaply

harminka — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:51:26 -0500

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, have discovered a simple and inexpensive way for patients with retinal and other eye disease to keep track of changes in their vision loss.