Stem-cell derived retina found to improve vision in monkeys with RP

Researchers at the RIKEN Institute in Japan have succeeded in growing human embryonic stem cell-derived retina (hESC-retina) and transplanting that tissue into the retinas of rhesus monkeys with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Three weeks after the treatment, visual tests on two of the monkeys found their vision had improved.

Ranibizumab Found Effective Against Diabetic Retinopathy

In a randomized clinical trial conducted by DRCR.net of more than 300 participants, researchers have found that ranibizumab is an effective alternative to Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) (laser therapy for treating diabetic retinopathy). Results also show that the drug therapy carries fewer side effects than the currently used laser treatment.

Ocular treatment likely to become first Gene Therapy approved in US

(c) nature.com

Spark Therapeutics has announced positive results from the Phase 3 pivotal trial of its lead gene therapy product candidate, SPK-RPE65, for the treatment of RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs). These results represent the first successful randomized, controlled Phase 3 trial ever completed in gene therapy for a genetic disease.

Study Finds Anti-VEGF Therapy Safer Before Steroids for Retinal Vein Occlusion

In results from a new study that was presented at EURETINA, Aflibercept and ranibizumab were found to be safer than dexamethasone intravitreal implants for the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion.

First patient receives potential new treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

A pioneering trial of a new treatment derived from stem cells for people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has commenced at Moorfields Eye Hospital following a successful operation on a patient.

Mediterranean Diet May Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy

(c) geneticliteracyproject.org

The Mediterranean diet may protect against diabetic retinopathy, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.

When do you recommend eye exam for a child with type 1 diabetes?

A new study suggests that the occurrence of advanced forms of a diabetic eye disease remains low among children living with diabetes, regardless of how long they have had the disease or their ability to keep blood sugar levels controlled. Researchers are therefore recommending that most children with type 1 diabetes delay annual diabetic retinopathy screenings until age 15, or 5 years after their diabetes diagnosis, whichever occurs later.

AMD likely to be more in people with deficient vitamin D status

A multi-institutional team reports that vitamin D may play a significant role in eye health, specifically in the possible prevention of age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, among women who are more genetically prone to developing the sight-damaging disease.

In a paper published in JAMA Ophthalmology online, the team found that women who are deficient in vitamin D and have a specific high-risk genotype are 6.7 times more likely to develop AMD than women with sufficient vitamin D status and no high risk genotype.

RetroSense Therapeutics Gets Approval for Clinical Trials in Retinitis Pigmentosa

(c) nature.com

RetroSense Therapeutics’ Investigational New Drug (IND) application for gene therapy based clinical trial for their product RST-001 has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration. RetroSense is developing RST-001 for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition that leads to the progressive degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptors (cells found in the retina that sense light), resulting in severe vision loss and blindness. With its IND now in effect, RetroSense expects to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial by year-end in order to evaluate the safety and, potentially, efficacy of RST-001.

Amniotic membrane derived stem cell transplants show benefit in retinal diseases

(c) Cell Transplantation

A team of researchers at the CHA University in South Korea has successfully transplanted mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from human amniotic membranes of the placenta (AMSCs) into laboratory mice modeled with oxygen-induced retinopathy, which is used to simulate many retinal diseases. The treatment aimed at suppressing abnormal angiogenesis (blood vessel growth) which is recognized as the cause of many eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The researchers reported that the AMSCs successfully migrated to the retinas of the test animals and, because of the growth factors secreted by the cells, were able to suppress retinal neovascularization.

UCI-led team begins first clinical trial of stem cell-based retinitis pigmentosa treatment

Participants are being enrolled in the first clinical trial that tests the use of retinal progenitor cells to treat retinitis pigmentosa. The product of stem cell research at UCI’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, these retinal progenitors are similar to stem cells in terms of potential regenerative properties, but they’re specific to the retina.

Intravitreal bevacizumab appears to be safe in treatment of retinopathy of prematurity

The use of intravitreal bevacizumab appears to be safe in preterm infants for treatment of retinopathy of prematurity, according to a long-term multicenter study.

NIH research points to microglia as potential therapeutic target in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Spider-like cells inside the brain, spinal cord and eye hunt for invaders, capturing and then devouring them. These cells, called microglia, often play a beneficial role by helping to clear trash and protect the central nervous system against infection. But a new study by researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows that they also accelerate damage wrought by blinding eye disorders, such as retinitis pigmentosa.

A Blind Architect leads his Berkeley Students to equitable, barrier-eliminating design solutions

Oh, that we could see as clearly as blind architect Chris Downey. Leading his UC Berkeley seminar students to equitable, barrier-eliminating design solutions or consulting on a 170,000-square-foot blind rehab center at the Veterans Affairs center in Palo Alto or filling the stroke seat on his East Bay Rowing Club team, the 52-year-old Piedmont architect and teacher says he lacks sight, but is not without vision.

Sunglasses should be used from an early age to prevent eye problems in the future

This summer, when your kids pack for summer camp, make sunglasses a top priority in the supply list.

Results in Ocuvia Diabetic Macular Edema Study show promise

ReVIEW study outcomes so far indicated that Ocuvia, a investigational topical ophthalmic formulation to treat the underlying defects in mitochondria in retinal diseases, shows promise in patients with diabetic macular edema.

Stem cells for treatment of diabetic retinopathy - positive results in the lab

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have taken a significant step forward in their efforts to use stem cells to block vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy, a condition that affects millions of people with diabetes. The researchers have evaluated the best potential sources for adult stem cells to be used for that purpose, determining that cells taken from donors who do not suffer diabetes likely will be more effective than cells taken from patients' own bodies.

Patients using Argus II report improvement in visual function and quality of life

The three-year clinical trial results of the retinal implant, popularly known as the "bionic eye," have proven the long-term efficacy, safety and reliability of the device that restores vision in those blinded by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a rare, degenerative eye disease. The findings show that the Argus II significantly improves visual function and quality of life for people blinded by RP.

Vitamin A may harm patients with Stargardt and possibly macular degeneration

An Oxford University study has found that reducing the tendency of vitamin A to form toxic clumps could slow down retinal degenerative diseases such as Stargardt disease, a condition that leads to blindness in children and young adults, and in age-related macular degeneration.

Using computing power to see individual retinal cells

Eye doctors could be using computing power to help them see individual retinal cells. Researchers hope that the detailed pictures gleaned from applying computational adaptive optics can illuminate how changes in the retina correspond to disease severity and track how cells and nerves respond to treatments. Detailed pictures of the cells, blood vessels and nerves at the back of the eye could enable earlier diagnosis and better treatment for degenerative eye and neurological diseases.

FDA approves device to help the blind 'see' via their tongues

The Food and Drug Administration has allowed marketing of a new device that when used along with other assistive devices, like a cane or guide dog, can help orient people who are blind by helping them process visual images with their tongues.

Neuronal-Glial Interactions in Retinal Disease

Matthew Zabel, of the National Eye Institute, talks about Neuronal-Glial Interactions in Retinal Disease.

How do your eyes detect movement?

You are driving the car at 40 mph. Suddenly, you see a child dart into the street. You hit the brakes. The car stops in time, and a disaster is averted. But how did your eyes detect that movement? It’s a question that has confounded scientists. Now we have an answer.

New Protein found in diabetic retinopathy may prevent the disease

Researchers have found a new protein that appears to be significantly responsible for the growth of new vessels in the eyes of patients with diabetes. Treatment targeted at this protein is likely to prevent the growth of these blood vessels and thus prevent blindness.

Researchers devise a better way to potentially avert blindness due to diabetic retinopathy

(c) USC Translational Imaging Center

Researchers have developed a new non-invasive technique that images the retina to quickly screen patients for diabetic retinopathy.

Researchers discover new forms of retinal blindness

Scientists from the University of Leeds have discovered six new forms of inherited blindness, each one resulting from mutations in a different gene important in eye development and vision.

Hydrogels boost ability of stem cells to restore eyesight

Scientists and engineers in Toronto have made a breakthrough in cell transplantation using a gel-like biomaterial that keeps cells alive and helps them integrate better into tissue. In two early lab trials, this has already shown to partially reverse blindness and help the brain recover from stroke.

FDA approves medical device that helps patients monitor their vision

Vital Art and Science Inc. has a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market myVisionTrack, a prescription-only medical device that enables patients with retinal diseases to monitor their vision function between regular visits to their eye-care professional to help ensure they obtain timely care and treatments.

Salicylates may improve retinal function and reduce insulin resistance in retina of type 2 diabetics

Research led by scientists at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, published in PLoS One in April 2015, has demonstrated that salicylate may improve retinal function by enhancing insulin signaling in the retina of type 2 diabetic animal models and in cultured retinal cells.

Autologous choroidal transplantation may lead to successful results in select AMD cases

Autologous choroidal transplantation may lead to successful outcomes in select patients with age-related macular degeneration who are refractory to anti-VEGF therapy.

Is the red-green color blindness gene therapy cure ready for humans?

Researchers at the Eye Institute of the University of Washington have successfully used gene therapy to cure color blindness in adult monkeys. In the photo on the left (photo credit), a squirrel monkey, who was treated for red-green color blindness, is seen enjoying a feast of colored fruits and vegetables. The image was digitally altered to simulate what the scene would look like to a person (or monkey) with red-green color blindness. 

Advancements in Retinal Detachment Research Pave the Road to Better Visual Recovery

Editor's notes:

To read more about what is Retinal Detachment, how is it caused, what are the symptoms, and what are the suggested things to do, click here.

Retinal detachment was the first retinal pathology that could be managed with a surgical intervention. Dr Jules Gonin (pictured on the left - credit) came up with a solution to treat this condition. Before that, all patients with retinal detachment were doomed to blindness. His work from 1902 to 1921, when he recognized that a retinal break was the cause of a retinal detachment - and not a consequence as was largely believed those days - helped kickstart the specialty of retinal disease management. Though his technique, referred to as "ignipuncture", is now obsolete, his pioneering work laid the important foundation. Though his work did not gain recognition for quite some time, and was even opposed by many, he finally got his due in 1929 at the International Ophthalmology Congress in Amsterdam. Since then, his legacy has lived on in the eye hospital in Lausanne that bears his name, in the Gonin Medal awarded by the International Council of Ophthalmology, the Club Jules Gonin, and in a street named after his, the very street that he used to walk from home to the hospital every day.

New research reveals significant burden for patients being treated for sight threatening retinal disease

New data presented at the 6th World Congress on Controversies in Ophthalmology shows that the intravitreal injection regimens associated with treating retinal disease can have a detrimental effect on a patient’s quality of life.

New retinal test will provide more information about retinal disease

New research published in The FASEB Journal details a test developed using mice that can help measure two important aspects of retinal health--the function of retinal blood vessels and light-detecting cells. This approach opens new possibilities for understanding the molecular changes that occur in retinal disease and for evaluating the benefits of treatment early in the course of disease.

Stem cell injection may soon reverse vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration

An injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, published in the journal Stem Cells.

Is Avastin better than Lucentis for AMD?

A group of researchers from China have evaluated randomized controlled clinical trials from around the world to study the efficacy and safety of Avastin^tm (bevacizumab) versus Lucentis^tm (ranibizumab) in wet (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Topical bromfenac reduces the frequency of intravitreal avastin in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion.

Topical bromfenac reduces the frequency of intravitreal bevacizumab in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion.

Telemedicine in premature babies with ROP

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to be an ongoing challenge for both ophthalmologists and neonatologists and remains a significant threat to vision for extremely premature infants despite the availability of therapeutic modalities. It remains a leading cause of morbidity despite, (and interestingly) as well as because of, advances in neonatal care, which have improved survival rates of at-risk infants born prematurely. Many controlled clinical trials have shown that application of therapies at the appropriate time is essential to successful outcomes in premature infants affected by ROP.

OCT may help evaluate for severity of Sickle Cell Retinopathy

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography may have a role to play in evaluating retinal changes in eyes with sickle cell retinopathy.

Will the brain be able to fully adapt to treatment of blindness?

A partial restoration of sight is possible in individuals blind from birth, thanks to the most recent advances in research. However, a group of researchers of the Mind/Brain Center of the University of Trento and of the University of Montréal in Canada have discovered that the functional reorganization of the brain happens in individuals who, for a long period, experienced a long sense deprivation, which could potentially impede complete sight restoration.

AMD may be triggered by tiny mineral deposits in retina

Scientists from the University of Maryland School of Medicine have found that tiny lumps of calcium phosphate may be an important triggering factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is the first time these mineral deposits have been implicated in the disease, which affects more than 10 million Americans.

New drugs in the pipeline target novel pathways for treatment of diabetic retinopathy

from NEI

There is exciting on-going research in the field of treatments for patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). There is a long list of drugs in the pipeline for treating this disease that affects a significant number of people around the world. Pipeline drugs target novel pathways to treat diabetic eye disease.

Increased lucentis dose does not offer additional benefit in retinal venous occlusions

from Wikipedia

Increasing the dose of ranibizumab (lucentis) did not offer any additional benefit in eyes with retinal vein occlusion, neither did laser photocoagulation improve vision or reduce edema significantly more than ranibizumab, according to the results of the RELATE study presented in Macula 2015. 

Portable retinal imaging system approved for sale in European Union and in USA

from d-eyecare.com

Si14 has announced that its D-EYE Portable Retinal Imaging System, a phone-case-sized add-on that turns an iPhone or Android smartphone into a fundus camera capable of taking high-definition video and still images of the eye for health screening and evaluation, is now registered with both the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European CE authority.

Nanosecond laser therapy reverses pathologic & molecular changes in age-related macular degeneration without retinal damage

from news.com.au

A study demonstrates the capacity of nanosecond laser treatment to reduce drusen and thin basement membrane (BM) while maintaining retinal structure in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

HIV/AIDS drugs that are FDA approved could treat age-related macular degeneration

from washington.edu

A study published in the journal Science by an international group of scientists, led by the laboratory of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, professor and vice chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Kentucky, reports that HIV/AIDS drugs that have been used for the last 30 years could be repurposed to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as other inflammatory disorders, because of a previously undiscovered intrinsic and inflammatory activity those drugs possess.

Poor Avastin responders in AMD & DME may have increased risk to obstructive sleep apnea

from Wikipedia

Poor responders to Bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) may have increased risk to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).