Feature Channels: Vision

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) today announced the recipient of the Oberdorfer Award in Low Vision Research. The award, which honors Michael D. Oberdorfer, PhD, recognizes a recipient with a $1,250 honorarium, an inscribed award and invitations to several special events at the ARVO Annual Meeting. The 2021 recipient of the award is Caroline Klaver, MD, PhD of Erasmus Medical Center, Radboud University Medical Center, and the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB).

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A new corneal laser procedure for vision improvement in patients with late-stage, dry or wet age-related macular degeneration and other retinal disorders allows patients to regain several lines of useful vision, to read again, and to experience improved quality of life

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Wills Eye Hospital attendings, faculty, and trainees this week presented 25 papers and posters at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) all virtual conference.

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University of Bristol research into octopus vision has led to a quick and easy test that helps optometrists identify people who are at greater risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of incurable sight loss.

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jCyte's presentation at ARVO 2021, demonstrated that retinitis pigmentosa patients treated with the 6 million cell dose of jCell therapy had significant gains in a broad range of visual function tests - BCVA, visual field (KVF), contrast sensitivity (CS), and low luminance mobility (LLMT) – all which measure important and different aspects of functional vision. jCyte also engaged the Cleveland Clinic to identify an anatomical biomarker for patient response to jCell therapy in retinitis pigmentosa, which will help guide the upcoming pivotal study.

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Data being presented at the 2021 virtual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) highlights the significant impact of inherited retinal diseases (IRD) in the United States and Canada.

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A new online database will allow researchers to look up gene expression by retina cell type across loads of different studies, three organisms, and multiple developmental stages. PLatform for Analysis of scEiad (PLAE) will premiere at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

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Gabapentin eye drops can decrease eye pain and stimulate lacrimal secretion, making it an ideal treatment for severe dry eye new research shows. The study will be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), being held virtually this year.

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A study has found that patients who had uveitis or scleritis — two types of eye inflammation — were more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well. This finding — presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) — supports current evidence that AMD develops in the presence of abnormal inflammation of the eye.

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New research out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, identified an inverse reaction between macular pigment levels and open-angle glaucoma in a 15-year follow-up cohort of older women participating in National Eye Institute (NEI) R01-funded Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (CAREDS2) (2016 - 2019). The research is being presented at 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), which is being hosted virtually.

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Preliminary research suggests possible application of manipulated gut bacteria may have therapeutic implications in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The early model system is being presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), being hosted virtually this year.

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Research being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) confirms that the SARS-CoV-2 can infect ocular tissue, especially of those with diabetes, and that wearing protective eyewear could reduce transmission of COVID-19.

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A cross sectional study assessing the impact of the pandemic on adults with and without visual or hearing loss has shown that individuals with visual loss may face increased disruption of their daily activities stemming from the pandemic and related mitigation measures, including access to healthcare, transportation, and information. This study out of the University of Michigan Medical School is being presented this week at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

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New research being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) demonstrates that adverse environments is possibly an avoidable risk factor for ocular graft-versus-host-disease (oGVHD), a rapidly progressing, sight-threatening condition of the eye following allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (aSCT).

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New research has resulted in a new potential therapeutic option for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) after being demonstrated on a mouse model. The results are being presented during the 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), being hosted virtually this year.

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New research being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) demonstrates a novel refillable implant dubbed the Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) can continuously release the anti-VEGF drug ranibizumab—a proven therapy—into the eye(s) of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). PDS is currently an investigational therapy being developed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

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New research results out of the University of Toronto indicate that one third of patients with diabetes in an urban center in Canada have not been screened for diabetic retinopathy (DR), and further, that of all patients with diabetes, young adults, immigrants and those not under the care of a family physician are at highest risk of not being screened. The study is being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

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A study being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) clarifies and further confirms the relationship between optic nerve cupping and glaucoma using unsupervised artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, unveiling component patterns.

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A new study being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) points to the cause of high incidence of sleep disorders in patients with glaucoma.

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ew research shows retinal cell types are vulnerable to Alzheimer’s pathology, suggesting retinal function may be useful in predicting and diagnosing changes in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease. This study will be presented during the 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), being held virtually this year.

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New research being presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) unveils an Oxford Nanopore long-range sequencing assay as a novel, low-cost approach for phasing biallelic mutations in the ABCA4 gene, which is responsible for a range of inherited blinding retinal diseases.

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New research suggests patients with congenital cone dysfunction may also experience abnormalities with their rod distribution, potentially impacting efficacy of therapeutic approaches for inherited cone disorders. The study presented this week at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) — being hosted virtually — used high-resolution imaging to assess cone and rod structure in patients who lack normal function in two of the three cone types.

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New research out of the University of Delaware has identified age- and sex-dependent changes in gene expression, highlighting differences between how male and female lenses age. The results will be presented at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

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David W. Parke II, MD, has announced to the Board of Trustees that he is stepping down as Academy CEO, stating that leadership transitions are healthy and important and that the organization is in a strong position with robust programs, strong governance and financial integrity.

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Older people with vision loss are significantly more likely to suffer mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia, according to a new study published in the journal Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research.

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Ten remarkable women who are Wills Eye Hospital faculty physicians and Wills Eye alumnae have been named to the Inaugural all-women Power List, published by The Ophthalmologist.

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Residents of some NYC public housing developments can get free vision screening and eye exams in their building, as part of a new study led by Columbia University’s Department of Ophthalmology.

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The magical ultraviolet C (UVC) sterilizing devices are proven to kill 99.99% of germs, but may pose a risk of skin cancer and cataracts, Chula professors cautioned consumers to use them carefully and by being fully informed.

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As regenerative therapies for blinding diseases move closer to clinical trials, the National Eye Institute’s functional imaging consortium, a part of the NEI Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI), is pioneering noninvasive technologies to monitor the function of the retina’s light-sensing neurons and their connections to the brain.

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New advances by medical researchers and engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison may provide hope for those suffering from vision loss.

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As kids begin to resume their favorite sports, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is reminding the public that the best defense against potentially blinding sports-related injuries is wearing protective eyewear.

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A new gene therapy for one of the most common forms of congenital blindness was safe and improved patients’ vision, according to initial data from a clinical trial.

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A Penn Medicine patient with a genetic form of childhood blindness gained vision, which lasted more than a year, after receiving a single injection of an experimental RNA therapy into the eye.

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The national Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study was designed to determine whether lowering elevated eye pressure in patients might prevent vision loss from glaucoma. Researchers recently completed follow-up studies on patients 20 years after the start of the original study and found that not all patients with elevated eye pressure need pressure-lowering treatment to prevent vision loss from glaucoma.

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Just as humans are challenged from the social isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a new study finds that a solitary lifestyle has profound effects on the brains of a social insect: paper wasps.

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Research to Prevent Blindness and The Glaucoma Foundation are pleased to announce a new round of grants, the Career Advancement Awards (CAAs), that support early-career researchers as they seek new knowledge related to eye diseases.

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Smoking cannabis significantly impairs vision but many users are unaware of it

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NIH supported early testing of the artificial retina. Now, scientists are testing whether manufacturing it on the International Space Station results in a viable treatment for people with blinding eye diseases.

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Using laboratory-grown roundworms as well as human and mouse eye tissue, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified a new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness among older adults.

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Michael S. Gilmore, PhD, a renowned microbiologist who has led infectious disease efforts at leading research institutions, has been appointed the first Chief Scientific Officer at Mass Eye and Ear, a member hospital of Mass General Brigham, following an extensive search.

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Human brains can do more than simply imagine the presence of nonexistent objects. Our minds can automatically create well-defined representations of objects that are merely implied rather than seen, like the obstacles in a mime’s performance. These findings could aid in the development of artificial intelligence related to vision and navigation by helping understand how humans perceive and navigate their environments.

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People who consume alcohol moderately appear less likely to develop cataracts that require surgery. The new research was published as an Article In Press in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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Early treatment with anti-VEGF injections slowed diabetic retinopathy in a clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network (DRCR.net). However, two years into the four-year study its effect on vision was similar to standard treatment, which usually begins at the onset of late disease.

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The discovery of a new gene linked to eye disorders of cataract and small or reduced eye tissue at the University of Delaware has earned a four-year grant to support further work exploring the role of the gene, Elav11 and its partners in eye development.

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A recently announced initiative from the American Academy of Ophthalmology to protect children from the vision-threatening consequences of high myopia (nearsightedness) has attracted major financial support from CooperVision.

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More patients than previously reported may experience hearing symptoms such as hearing loss or muffled hearing from a new treatment for thyroid eye disease, teprotumumab (Tepezza), according to a small study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

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The National Eye Institute (NEI) Data Commons now enables researchers to access data from patients with macular degeneration who participated in the Age-related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2). The database complements newly available stem cell lines created by the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute (NYSCF) from blood cells of AREDS2 study participants.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.

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Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world behind cataracts, is often referred to as “the silent thief of sight” because it can so easily go undetected.

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Pediatricians can identify vision problems in children. However, there are signs parents themselves can spot.