Injection Improves Vision in a Form of Childhood Blindness

(c) NIH

A new treatment for patients with a form of congenital retinal blindness has shown success in improving vision, according to results published today in Nature Medicine led by researchers at the Scheie Eye Institute  in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The blood test that could save sight

A new blood test is being developed at The Australian National University (ANU) that can detect patients at risk of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and potentially save millions of people from going blind.

Detecting prions in eyes of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

(c) NIH

Prions are abnormal forms of natural proteins. The misshapen proteins collect in brain tissue and cause cells to die, leaving sponge-like holes in the brain. Prion diseases include “mad cow” disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in people. People can get CJD by eating infected beef, but most cases develop spontaneously. This rare disease, which affects about one in a million people, is untreatable and fatal.

A novel drug for treatment of diabetic retinopathy

(c) Centenary Institute, Sydney, Australia

Scientists at the Centenary Institute have developed a novel drug which could potentially be used to effectively treat patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy often occurs in diabetic patients, even when their blood sugar levels are controlled. In diabetic retinopathy, the tiny blood vessels in the retina are damaged and can leak fluid or haemorrhage, often leading to vision loss.