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.

Low-Cost OCT Retinal Scanner Could Help Prevent Blindness Worldwide

(c) Duke University

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a low-cost, portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner that promises to bring the vision-saving technology to underserved regions throughout the United States and abroad.

Thanks to a redesigned, 3D-printed spectrometer, the scanner is 15 times lighter and smaller than current commercial systems and is made from parts costing less than a tenth the retail price of commercial systems—all without sacrificing imaging quality.

A US Court Asks Stem Cell Clinics to Stop Manufacturing and Marketing Products without Regulatory approval

(c) The Atlantic

U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro of the Southern District of Florida has issued an order that stops US Stem Cell Clinic LLC, of Weston, Florida, and US Stem Cell Inc., of Sunrise, Florida, and their Chief Scientific Officer Kristin Comella, Ph.D., from manufacturing or distributing any and all stromal vascular fraction (SVF) products, which are adipose (fat) tissue derived stem cell products, until they come into compliance with the law.

Immune system may slow degenerative eye disease

A new study shows that the complement system, part of the innate immune system, plays a protective role to slow retinal degeneration in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited eye disease. This surprising discovery contradicts previous studies of other eye diseases suggesting that the complement system worsens retinal degeneration. 

The research was performed by scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and appears in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.