Feature Channels: Vision

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Institute Will Pursue Cutting-Edge Research to Find Treatments and Cures

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Vision problems are a common and sometimes lasting consequence of head injuries—from children and teens with sports-related concussions to military personnel with combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI). New research and perspectives on TBI and vision are presented in the January feature issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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A UAB study shows that evaluation from a vision specialist should be included in return-to-learn concussion protocols.

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University of Virginia Health System researchers have developed a potential therapeutic treatment for dry eye, with human testing to start in March. The drug differs from other treatments of dry eye in that it aims to treat the cause of dry eye instead of masking the symptoms. About the drug The drug, Lacripep (TM), is a topical eye drop that functions differently from conventional  approaches.

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Researchers from Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear have uncovered two factors responsible for the chronic, lifelong nature of autoimmune disorders, which tend to “flare up” intermittently in affected patients. These two factors are cell-signaling proteins called cytokines—specifically Interleukin-7 and -15 (IL-7 and IL-15)—that are secreted by cells of the immune system and help modulate memory Th17 cells, a subset of T cells which are known to contribute to autoimmune disorders. Until now, it was unclear how Th17 cells maintained memory; the study results show that IL-7 and IL-15 signal the Th17 cells to chronically reside in the body.

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January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month -- Learn about this sight-stealing eye disease and how to spread the word and help speed the cure.

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Simultaneous Bilateral Cataract Surgery (SBCS) lets patients have cataract surgery on both eyes, on the same day. But this procedure sparks debate in the professional community. While frequently performed in Europe, it is still a rarity in the U.S.—and MedStar Washington Hospital Center ophthalmologists Jay Lustbader, MD, and Mark Gonzalez, MD, say the lack of popularity of the procedure in this country is well-deserved.

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Jonathan Lass, MD, has been awarded the Castroviejo Medal, the Cornea Society's highest honor. Dr. Lass, an ophthalmologist at University Hospitals Eye Institute at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Charles I Thomas Professor of Ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine received the award in recognition of his lifetime contributions to research and advancements in corneal transplant and surgery.

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The Catalyst Award, Glaucoma Research Foundation’s highest honor, will be presented to Eugene de Juan, Jr., MD, Founder and Vice-Chairman of ForSight Labs and the Jean Kelly Stock Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California San Francisco, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing ophthalmology.

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This unique three-day event dedicated to highlighting innovation in glaucoma kicks off with a fundraising Gala, followed by the New Horizons Forum and educational symposia for Clinicians.

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Vision scientists may have discovered how to reduce pedestrian collisions in crowded and chaotic open space environments like bus terminals, shopping malls and city plazas involving individuals with partial blindness. Researchers have determined from which direction collisions with partially blind pedestrians are most likely to originate. This understanding will guide the development of new glasses that expand the sight of a person with limited peripheral vision.

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Research finds that Zika-linked abnormalities that occur in human fetuses are more extensive and severe than previously thought, with 46 percent of 125 pregnancies among Zika-infected women resulting in birth defects in newborns or ending in fetal death.

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A new book by the world’s leading expert on vision restoration, Professor Bernhard A. Sabel, PhD, delivers information about how to better understand the impact of vision loss and new treatment options that could potentially help the more than 150 million people worldwide who suffer from partial blindness.

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A team of researchers at the Krembil Research Institute has published a paper that is expected to change the way scientists think about vision recovery after retinal cell transplantation.

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Massachusetts Eye and Ear recently opened the Center for Thyroid Eye Disease and Orbital Surgery, a multidisciplinary initiative to address complex conditions affecting the eye sockets, including orbital tumors and thyroid eye disease.

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National survey shows it's getting hard to find an ophthalmologist to screen premature babies for eye disease.

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Girls with a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the Nf1 gene are much more likely to lose their vision than boys with the same mutations. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis believe estrogen activates immune cells that damage the nerves necessary for sight.

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A new study is the first to show that the Parkin gene is turned on when cells are exposed to environmental insults that cause free radical formation and cataract formation. Researchers have discovered that through the removal of mitochondria that are damaged by these environmental insults, Parkin prevents free radical formation in lens cells and increases the ability of the cells to survive exposure to conditions that are associated with aging and the development of many degenerative diseases.

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Funding from a National Eye Institute award to the UAB School of Optometry will advance eye care research.

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A team of scientists has mapped out how our brains process visuals we don’t even know we’ve seen, indicating that the neuronal encoding and maintenance of subliminal images is more substantial than previously thought.

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A common class of drugs for vision loss may actually add to the problem in some patients, according to new research co-led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).

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Older adults with cataracts are more likely to have symptoms of depression, reports a study in the December issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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In a small double-blind study, Johns Hopkins researchers report that a substantial majority of people suffering cancer-related anxiety or depression found considerable relief for up to six months from a single large dose of psilocybin -- the active compound in hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms."

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Audio will be available for an exhibit at UIC

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Loss of vision is one of the many dreaded complications of diabetes. Over 5.3 million Americans suffer from diabetes-related retinal disease or diabetic retinopathy. After 20 years of living with diabetes, nearly all type 1 diabetics will have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, as will approximately 60 percent of type 2 diabetics. Some of these patients will experience significant vision loss.

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Scientists have found that with minimal training, members of the general public may be able to match the accuracy of experts in interpreting medical images of the eye. The work, published in Translational Vision Science & Technology (TVST), introduces a world where individuals without medical training could contribute to decisions made in the clinic.

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Regenerative medicine company jCyte has completed enrollment in a phase I/IIa trial studying the safety of its stem cell therapy for retinitis pigmentosa. Early results are promising.

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A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear found that vestibular thresholds begin to double every 10 years above the age of 40, representing a decline in our ability to receive sensory information about motion, balance and spatial orientation. The report was published online ahead of print in Frontiers in Neurology.

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The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) recently announced Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Optometry Professor Rachel A. "Stacey" Coulter, O.D., M.S.Ed., FAAO, FCOVD, as the recipient of the prestigious 2016 William Feinbloom Award. Dr. Coulter was recognized at the Academy 2016 Anaheim Awards Ceremony on November 11, 2016.

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Young adults now have access to an outpatient procedure that can help prevent progressive vision loss and avoid corneal transplants. University of Michigan Health System Kellogg Eye Center has been on the forefront of studying and providing corneal cross-linking.

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It was Labor Day 2015 when Rosetta Ivey-Foster, a 76-year-old retired bank clerk, learned first-hand how quickly diabetes can deteriorate vision. Swift action restored most of her eyesight.

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Dr. Robert Ritch has been selected to receive the 2017 Joanne G. Angle Service Award from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). This is the highest honor from the leading eye and vision research organization in the world.

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Robert Selby, a legally blind 54-year-old man from Hazelwood, Missouri, has retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, inherited condition that progressively robs sight. But with the help of an artificial retina he hopes to be able to get around more independently and safely.

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An international team of scientists led by the University of Michigan has discovered a new type of photoreceptor—only the third to be found in animals—that is about 50 times more efficient at capturing light than the rhodopsin in the human eye.

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A study using Barbies and Transformers finds that men are better at recognizing Transformer faces while women are better at recognizing Barbie faces, supporting the theory that experience plays an important role in facial recognition.

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NYU Langone receives $15 million for a five-year research grant from the National Eye Institute to evaluate treatment for shingles of the eye.

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Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast together with University of St Andrews and Aberdeen have found that the procedure used to remove cataracts is more successful than current standard treatments with laser in treating Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma – a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

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Bacteria in your intestines may play an important role in determining if you will develop blinding wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

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Columbia University researchers slowed vision loss in mice with a form of retinitis pigmentosa by reprogramming the metabolism of photoreceptors in the retina.

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Aaron W. McGee, Ph.D., assistant professor at the UofL School of Medicine, has received the Disney Award for Amblyopia Research from Research to Prevent Blindness. McGee will use the award to investigate approaches for improving recovery from amblyopia, or “lazy eye."

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Michael Crair, Yale University, and Carol Mason, Columbia University, have co-authored a report published online today in the Journal of Neuroscience. “Reconnecting Eye to Brain” is a comprehensive assessment of what scientists know about optic nerve development, regeneration, and reconnection. The report was based on input gathered during the Oct. 16, 2015, panel discussion, titled “Reconnecting Neurons in the Visual System,” sponsored by the National Eye Institute Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI). The panel comprised two dozen leading experts on neural development and regeneration.

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• The hypothesis accepted until now was based in the fact that radiation from the Sun has its maximum intensity near the absorption peaks of human vision • This study uses information theory and the entropy of radiation to explain why human vision has evolved to adapt to solar radiation

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A new study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology reports that low-cost, widely available eye drops are just as effective as antibiotics in treating bacterial keratitis -- a significant finding for developing nations where antibiotics are too costly.

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Massachusetts Eye and Ear has appointed Daniel B. Polley, Ph.D., leading neuroscientist and hearing researcher, as the first Director of the Lauer Tinnitus Research Center. In this role, Dr. Polley will direct the Center’s efforts to advance research to better understand and treat tinnitus (or “ringing in the ears”), a condition affecting more than 50 million Americans and for which there are currently no widely effective treatments.

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RPB-supported vision researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have contributed key data to a new study that identifies a natural compound that slows typical signs of aging in mice. The study, published today in Cell Metabolism, shows that older mice drinking water supplemented with NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) resembled younger mice in measures of metabolism and energy production.

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Two Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have received grants totaling $40,000 from Ann Arbor-based Eversight, a global nonprofit network of eye banks. The CWRU projects are aimed at helping glaucoma patients and those with Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy.

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Protamine—a natural protein with a proven safety record—may be useful in developing new types of disinfectant solutions for contact lenses, according to a study published in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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As the end of daylight saving time draws near, ophthalmologists at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute want to focus on a real issue—dim-light driving situations that can endanger drivers and pedestrians.

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Upstate researchers Andrea S. Viczian, Ph.D., and Michael E. Zuber, Ph.D., and their colleagues, have identified two genes—Tbx3 and Pax6—that together are sufficient to start the process of eye development.