NEI/NIH launch clinical trial to study AMD progression

(c) NEI / NIH

A new clinical study led by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, will follow 500 people over five years to learn more about the natural history of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD). By using the latest technologies to visualize structures within the eye and measure their function, researchers hope to identify biomarkers of disease progression, well before it advances to late-stage disease and causes vision loss.

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.

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. 

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.

Retinal imaging may provide early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Dr. Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui (c) Cedas-Sinai

Preliminary results indicate that a device that has been conceived at Cedars-Sinai and developed by NeuroVision Imaging, may provide highly predictive early detection of changes associated with Alzheimer's disease 15 to 20 years before clinical diagnosis.