blindness tagged posts

Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center have developed eye drops that could prevent vision loss after retinal vein occlusion, a major cause of blindness for millions of adults worldwide.A study, in mice, suggests that the experimental therapy — which targets a common cause of neurodegeneration and vascular leakage in the eye — could have broader therapeutic effects than existing drugs.The study was published in Nature Communications.What is Retinal Vein Occlusion?Retinal vein occlusion occurs when a major vein that drains blood from the retina is blocked, usually due to a blood clot...

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 the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, they have also managed to modify the cells so that they can hide from the immune system to prevent rejection. The studies are published in the scientific journals Nature Communications and Stem Cell Reports.

Age-related macular degeneration of the eye is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly...

Jayakrishna Ambati, M.D., (left) and Nagaraj Kerur, Ph.D., have discovered a crucial trigger for macular degeneration, a condition which robs millions of their sight. The discovery may allow doctors to intervene early to halt the process. Credit: Josh Barney | UVA Health System

Unexpected finding points to potential way to stop macular degeneration. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered a critical trigger for the damaging inflammation that ultimately robs millions of their sight. The finding may allow doctors to halt the inflammation early on, potentially saving patients from blindness. “Almost 200 million people in the world have macular degeneration...