A commonly used anti-VEGF may not be as effective in treating diabetic macular edema in black patients

(c) peimag.com

A new study indicates a medication frequently used to treat diabetic macular edema, the most common cause of blindness in people with diabetes, is less effective when used to treat the condition in Black patients. 

Artificial Intelligence to predict heart disease via the eyes

(c) iaidl.org

An international collaboration of researchers has developed an autonomous artificial intelligence that is able to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients through the blood vessels of the retina. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Biological Engineering.

Study reveals significant restoration of retinal and visual function following Gene Therapy

(c) Nature Biomedical Engg

A breakthrough study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, has demonstrated restoration of retinal and visual functions of mice models suffering from inherited retinal disease.

Published today in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the paper, titled, “Restoration of visual function in adult mice with an inherited retinal disease via adenine base editing,” illustrates the use of a new generation CRISPR technology and lays the foundation for the development of a new therapeutic modality for a wide range of inherited ocular diseases caused by different gene mutations.

World's first transplant of iPS visual cells for retinal disease

(c) Kyodo News

The world's first clinical trial of a transplant of visual cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, to treat a patient with pigmentary retinal degeneration was performed without any complications in Japan.

Is there any evidence of energy drinks causing retinal damage and visual impairment?

(c) Ophthalmology Management

In a recent presentation at the virtual EURETINA meeting, a study from Turkey suggests consumption of energy drinks may lead to acute, reversible changes in retinal vascular density parameters.

Is it possible for us humans to regenerate our eyes? Research points to a possibility.

(c) elifesciences.org

Damage to the retina is the leading cause of blindness in humans, affecting millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, the retina is one of the few tissues we humans can't grow back. 

Unlike us, other animals such as zebrafish are able to regenerate this tissue that's so crucial to our power of sight. We share 70 percent of our genes with these tiny little zebrafish, and scientists have just discovered some of the shared genes include the ones that grant zebrafish the ability to grow back their retinas.

COVID-19 and the Retina - how does this Coronavirus affect the back of the eye?

(c) Wikipedia

COVID-19 can affect the retina. Retinal vein diameter seems directly correlated with the disease severity. Its assessment could have possible applications in the management of COVID-19.

As the coronavirus pandemic evolves and spreads worldwide, more information emerges on how the virus affects the body. What was once a respiratory illness has now become a systemic infection, affecting multiple organs.

AI Algorithm Helps Screen COVID-10 patients based on Eye Images

(c) Yanwei Fu

Scientists describe a potential screening method for COVID-19 based on eye images analyzed by artificial intelligence. Scanning a set of images from several hundred individuals with and without COVID-19, the tool accurately diagnosed coronavirus infections more than 90 percent of the time, the developers reported in a preprint posted to medRxiv September 10.

New OCT technique offers better potential in retinal stem cell and gene therapy treatment

Researchers at the University of Washington have modified the standard process of OCT (optical coherence tomography) to detect minute changes in response to light in individual photoreceptors in the living eye. The technique has potential in the testing of therapies such as stem cells or gene therapy to treat retinal disease.

A healthy lifestyle for cardiovascular health also promotes good eye health

In a new study, investigators found that ideal cardiovascular health, which is indicative of a healthy lifestyle, was associated with lower odds for ocular diseases especially diabetic retinopathy. These findings appearing in the American Journal of Medicine, published by Elsevier, suggest that interventions to prevent cardiovascular diseases may also hold promise in preventing ocular diseases.

Retinal Vein Occlusion may be associated with increased risk of dementia

A study out of South Korea suggests that retinal vein occlusion (RVO) may be associated with increased risk of dementia. The coexistence of RVO with hypertension was found to be associated with a higher risk of dementia. In addition, RVO may be a predictor for dementia.

Researchers develop cell injection technique that could help reverse vision loss

University of Toronto Engineering researchers have developed a new method of injecting healthy cells into damaged eyes. The technique could point the way toward new treatments with the potential to reverse forms of vision loss that are currently incurable.

Smart contact lenses that diagnose and treat diabetes and diabetic retinopathy

(c) POSTECH

What if you could control the secretion of insulin just by wearing contact lenses?

A research team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea developed wirelessly driven a 'smart contact lens' technology that can just that too - it can detect diabetes and further treat diabetic retinopathy just by a person wearing them.

Study finds link between poor diet and age-related macular degeneration

(c) Univ of Buffalo

Participants who ate a diet high in red and processed meat, fried food, refined grains and high-fat dairy were three times more likely to develop an eye condition that damages the retina and affects a person’s central vision, according to the results of a study conducted at University of Buffalo and published in the journal BMJ Ophthalmology.

The condition is called late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is an irreversible condition that affects a person’s central vision, taking away their ability to drive, among other common daily activities.

Does we pass COVID-19 virus particles through our tears?

(c) Medlineplus.gov

While researchers are certain that coronavirus spreads through mucus and droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing, it is unclear if the virus is spread through other bodily fluids, such as tears. A study from Singapore offers evidence that it is unlikely that infected patients are shedding virus through their tears, with one important caveat. None of the patients in the study had conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. However, health officials believe pink eye develops in just 1 percent to 3 percent of people with coronavirus. The study's authors conclude that their findings, coupled with the low incidence of pink eye among infected patients, suggests that the risk of virus transmission through tears is low.

Embryonic stem cells for treating blindness

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and St Erik Eye Hospital in Sweden have discovered a way to refine the production of retinal cells from embryonic stem cells for treating blindness in the elderly.

Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, they also modified the cells so that they can hide from the immune system to prevent rejection.

Human blindness could be cured utilizing Zebrafish's capability to regenerate its retina

Researchers are looking into how a unique characteristic of a zebrafish can regenerate retinas in humans and keep people seeing as they age.

Zebrafish might be tiny, but they come with some supersized powers. But unlike mammals, they are able to regenerate parts of their retina if they become injured. That is why researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center are studying how this characteristic of zebrafish can help humans dealing with age-related vision loss due to damage to the retina.