Optogenetics: New Therapy for Retinitis Pigmentosa Shows Promise A two-year study led by researcher Allen C. Ho was presented at AAO 2024, the 128th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The findings suggest that a new kind of gene therapy can improve vision in people who have lost nearly all sight due to retinitis pigmentosa Weiterlesen 211
Study Shows Association Between Climate Change and Eye Conditions A pioneering study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has shown a significant association between air pollution caused by climate change and an increase in ocular surface conditions. Weiterlesen 177
IOB researchers discover new gene linked to retinitis pigmentosa In a groundbreaking study published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, the research team led by Carlo Rivolta has identified a new gene associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Genetically, RP is highly heterogeneous, with pathogenic variants identified in more than 100 genes so far. Weiterlesen 291
Communication between retinal cells: Swiss scientists solve a 50-year-old mystery In a groundbreaking study published in Neuron, scientists at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) have identified a surprisingly simple and novel mechanism that regulates how our eyes process visual information at the very first step of seeing. The study represents a significant leap forward in vision research and neuroscience. Weiterlesen 323
LumiThera Obtains FDA Authorization of Valeda Treatment for Dry AMD Patients LumiThera Inc., a medical device company offering photobiomodulation (PBM) treatment for ocular damage and disease, announced the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized marketing of Valeda® Light Delivery System for treatment of patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Weiterlesen 439
AAO: New Drug May Be the First to Protect Vision in People With Dry AMD Study shows investigational treatment reduced vision loss and protected key structures in the eye essential for vision. FDA has granted the treatment Fast Track status, and the European Union has given it Priority Medicine (PRIME) designation to speed up investigation. Weiterlesen 428
Researchers Discover New Role of Immune Cells in Eye Health The eye is an immune-privileged tissue because of the need to keep blood vessels away from the central pathway of light and to restrict entry of inflammatory cells that could cause damage. This has prompted questions about how the eye manages inflammation when it occurs. Weiterlesen 198
Stem Cells Repair Retinas in Monkey Models of Macular Holes Human stem cell transplants successfully repaired macular holes in a monkey model. After transplantation, the macular holes were closed by continuous filling of the space with retinal tissue. This is according to a new study from researchers at the Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research at Kobe City Eye Hospital, and colleagues at other institutions. Their findings are described in a paper published in Stem Cell Reports Weiterlesen 415
Stargardt Macular Degeneration: First randomized, controlled gene therapy trial planned Nanoscope Therapeutics announced a productive End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its clinical program evaluating MCO-010 for the treatment of severe vision loss due to Stargardt Macular Degeneration (SMD), supporting advancement of MCO-010 to a Phase 3 registrational trial. The MCO-010 gene therapy utilizes an intraocular injection for delivery of a gene that encodes for the ambient light-sensitive MCO protein into retinal cells. Weiterlesen 868
Gene therapy offers promise for treating glaucoma – as well as AMD Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have developed a gene therapy that shows promise for treating both glaucoma and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The scientists have just published their research in the International Journal of Molecular Genetics. Their work shows how the gene therapy conferred significant benefit in animal models, and in human cells derived from people with glaucoma. Weiterlesen 780
Potential new pathway to prevent age-related macular degeneration A research team led by the University of Minnesota Medical School has identified small molecules that can reduce the production of proteins linked to age-related macular degeneration. The paper was published in JCI Insight. Weiterlesen 751
Formation of Drusen: NIH Study Reveals Cellular Pathology of Dry AMD A report by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, details how alterations in a factor called AKT2 affects the function of organelles called lysosomes and results in the production of deposits in the retina called drusen, a hallmark sign of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) Weiterlesen 841
The EyeMax Mono™ IOL Designed for AMD Patients to be Featured at the 2024 ESCRS and Euretina Annual Congresses in Barcelona A summary of the presentations and papers featuring EyeMax Mono™ is included below. Weiterlesen 1169
Retinitis Pigmentosa: European Orphan Medicinal Product Designation for KIO-301 Kiora Pharmaceuticals has announced it has received Orphan Medicinal Product Designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of a group of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) that include retinitis pigmentosa (RP), choroideremia and more. The broad designation covers KIO-301, a small molecule photoswitch, for the treatment of non-syndromic rod-dominant retinal dystrophies. Weiterlesen 1262
Novaliq Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for Vevizye® in Dry Eye Disease The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation in the European Union for Vevizye®, intended for the treatment of moderate to severe dry eye disease (keratoconjuctivitis sicca) in adult patients, which has not improved despite treatment with tear substitutes. Weiterlesen 1001
Dry AMD: Supplements Slow Disease Progression during Late Stage In a new analysis of data, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that taking a daily supplement containing antioxidant vitamins and minerals slows progression of late-stage dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), potentially helping people with late-stage disease preserve their central vision. Weiterlesen 1130
A new way to monitor eye microcirculation: Multiwavelength laser Doppler holography (MLDH) For the first time, Polish scientists used multiwavelength laser Doppler holography to assess blood flow in various layers of the human retina in vivo, which may impact the diagnosis of circulatory disorders. Weiterlesen 1075
Global perspectives on childhood myopia: addressing the rising epidemic Scientists from around the world gathered recently in Seattle, Washington, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) to address the global increase in myopia. Myopia rates, especially among children, have spiked dramatically over the past few decades. The National Eye Institute (NEI) organized the meeting to facilitate international collaborations aimed at understanding what’s driving the epidemic and how to control it. Weiterlesen 1321
Semaglutide may be associated with non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) A new study is the first to discover that people prescribed semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, have a higher risk of developing a form of blindness due to optic nerve disease known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Weiterlesen 1383
EMA’s CHMP Issues Negative Opinion of Syfovre for Geographic Atrophy The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a negative opinion on the marketing authorization application (MAA) of Apellis’s intravitreal pegcetacoplan (Syfovre) for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA). Apellis to seek re-examination. Weiterlesen 1480
Thalamic interneurons have different views – new insights into how the brain integrates visual information All sensory stimuli—with the exception of smell—pass through the thalamus before reaching the cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain that governs cognition. A small part of the thalamus, the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), mediates image perception. Weiterlesen 1434
Potential New Treatment Option for Diabetic Retinopathy Researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences and Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center are studying a new, revolutionary treatment for diabetic retinopathy (DR) that could change the prognosis for diabetis patients. They focus on a certain very damaging type of lipids, ceramides, which are present in the eyes of DR patients. Weiterlesen 1249
Neovascular AMD: Is Telomerase a new Treatment Target? Researchers determined in mice that telomerase, an enzyme related to cell growth and division, is a culprit in the blood vessel invasion in the back of the eye that causes blurred central vision in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Targeting the enzyme with an experimental drug suppressed abnormal vascular growth in the animals’ retina. Weiterlesen 869
Researchers Discover Novel Approach to Combat AMD Increasing the levels of a key protein in retinal cells could help protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), finds a new discovery made by researchers from the UK, US, Germany (Department of Genetic Epidemiology, University of Regensburg) and Australia. Weiterlesen 1085
Innovative 3D printing could revolutionise treatment for cataracts and other eye conditions University of East Anglia researchers have made a significant breakthrough in ocular device technology with the introduction of a novel resin for 3D printing intraocular devices. This innovation has potential to enhance the manufacture of eye implants universally used in cataract and refractive surgeries. Weiterlesen 1417
European Commission Marketing Authorization for LYTENAVA (bevacizumab gamma) for the Treatment of Wet AMD LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) becomes first ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab to receive European Commission Marketing Authorization for the treatment of wet AMD / Advancing toward commercial launch of LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) in EU expected in calendar Q1 2025 Weiterlesen 1337
How Neurons Build a 3-D Vascular Structure to Keep the Retina Healthy Scientists have known for years that a lattice of blood vessels nourishes cells in the retina – but it’s been a mystery how the intricate structure is created. Now, researchers at UC San Francisco have found a new type of neuron that guides its formation. Weiterlesen 813
One Mutation of Rhodopsin May Cause Congenital Stationary Night Blindness In what they believe is a solution to a 30-year biological mystery, neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have used genetically engineered mice to address how one mutation in the gene for the light-sensing protein rhodopsin results in congenital stationary night blindness. Weiterlesen 773
COVID-19 Virus can breach blood-retinal barrier The blood-retinal barrier is designed to protect our vision from infections by preventing microbial pathogens from reaching the retina. But researchers have discovered that that SARS-CoV-2 can breach this protective retinal barrier with potential long-term consequences in the eye. Weiterlesen 946
Neovascular AMD: New Treatment Target Scientists from Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia report that a gene previously implicated in the development of atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries could be key to understanding why many people don’t benefit from the most used therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Weiterlesen 1009
CRIPSR gene editing leads to improvements in vision for people with Leber Congenital Amaurosis Mass Eye and Ear-led phase 1/2 trial, which included 14 participants, found that the first-of-its-kind experimental treatment was safe and efficacious Weiterlesen 1188
New Research Reveals Benefits of Early Patching for Children with Amblyopia A recent study conducted at 30 hospital sites across the UK, Greece, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland sheds light on a potentially more effective treatment approach for children with amblyopia. Weiterlesen 706
AI makes retinal imaging 100 times faster Researchers at the National Eye Institute report that with AI, imaging cells in the retina is 100 times faster and improves image contrast 3.5-fold. They developed a novel AI-based method called parallel discriminator generative adversarial network (P-GAN)—a deep learning algorithm. The advance, they say, will provide researchers with a better tool to evaluate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other retinal diseases. Weiterlesen 981
Artificial Vitreous Body Formulated from Biomaterials Obtained from Algae A collaborative effort between Korean scientists has resulted in the creation of an artificial vitreous body for treating retinal detachment. This solution is based on a natural carbohydrate derived from algae. Weiterlesen 1433
Optic Nerve Damage: A Path to Regeneration Damage to the optic nerve can lead to irreversible blindness. A newly investigated regeneration factor could change that, researchers of the University of Connecticut (UConn) report in the May 2024 issue of Experimental Neurology. This opens up a completely new field of research – in glaucoma or other types of nerve damage. Weiterlesen 1986
AMD: Protein FHR-4 no promising therapeutic target? Over the past decade, researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center’s Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine (SCTM) have clarified the genetics of AMD, refined the clinical understanding of its natural course of progression, and developed potential new treatments. Publishing in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, the SCTM’s latest AMD research points the field away from a liver-produced protein others had identified as a promising therapeutic target. Weiterlesen 924
Scientists discover a worm with enormous and surprisingly sharp-seeing eyes The Mediterranean marine worm Vanadis can be found around the Italian island of Ponza. Its eyesight rivals that of rodents such as mice and rats. Its eyes weigh about 20 times more than the rest of its head. The worms can see UV light and focus on relatively small objects, tracking them as they move. Weiterlesen 1960
ViGeneron Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 1b Clinical Trial of VG901 for the Intravitreal Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa VG901 is the first and only clinical-stage therapy designed to deliver a functional CNGA1 gene to retinal photoceptor target cells in retinitis pigmentosa patients / VG901, using ViGeneron’s proprietary next-generation technology platform vgAAV, is administered intravitreally (IVT), offering enhanced ease of delivery, broader vector distribution, and mitigating the risk of retinal damage linked with subretinal administration / VG901 granted Orphan Drug Designation by FDA. Weiterlesen 1071
Geographic Atrophy: Aviceda Therapeutics Announces Formation of European Clinical Advisory Board The European Clinical Advisory Board (CAB) is made up of internationally recognized thought leaders in retina. The CAB will provide strategic consultation on the company’s clinical development of its lead asset, AVD-104, for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Weiterlesen 1002
National Eye Institute: Study points to ‘ground zero’ for AMD development Integrative omics approach finds 87 genes where aging, diet, lifestyle and smoking may take toll by affecting epigenome. Weiterlesen 902
Researchers uncover the microbial secrets of dry eye Insights into the ocular microbiome could have implications beyond eye health. Weiterlesen 942
FDA Approval For Clobetasol Propionate Eye Drop for Post-Operative Inflammation And Pain The first new steroid to the ophthalmic sector in more than a decade: Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals and AimMax Therapeutics (United States) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension 0.05% (APP13007), for the treatment of post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. Weiterlesen 1194
AI has perfect detection rate for severe cases of retinopathy of prematurity The technology could expand global treatment before condition can permanently damage vision. Weiterlesen 1034
Novel Protocol to Rapidly Diagnose and Treat Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Ophthalmologists at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) have created a novel protocol to rapidly diagnose eye stroke and expedite care to prevent irreversible vision loss. Weiterlesen 1071
Augeninnendruck-Monitoring mit dem iCare HOME2 Tonometer – Fachgespräch mit Glaukomexpertin Dr. Barbara Wirostko Der Augeninnendruck gilt als wichtigster Risiko- und einziger therapeutisch beeinflussbarer Faktor bei einer Glaukomerkrankung. Doch er ist Schwankungen unterworfen. Auch diese nur vorübergehenden Druckerhöhungen können zu einer Sehnervenschädigung führen. Aus diesem Grunde ist es so wichtig, den Augeninnendruck im Verlauf zu überprüfen – etwa mit dem iCare HOME2. Mehr dazu im neuen EYEFOX Fachgespräch. Weiterlesen 972
Neu in der EYEFOX Mediathek: Ab-interno Kanaloplastik mit dem iTrack™ Advance – Chirurgische Tipps und Tricks Dr. Karl Mercieca (Universitätsklinikum Bonn) und Dr. Karsten Klabe (Breyer, Kaymak & Klabe Augenchirurgie, Düsseldorf) teilen ihre chirurgischen Tipps und Tricks für eine erfogreiche Kanaloplastik mit dem neuen iTrack™ Advance Kanaloplastikgerät. Weiterlesen 883
Neu in der EYEFOX Mediathek: Ab-interno Kanaloplastik – Ein Fachgespräch mit Dr. Karl Mercieca Der iTrack™ Advance Kanaloplastik-Mikrokatheter erleichtert den Zugang ins vordere Augensegment unter kontinuierlicher Sichtkontrolle bei chirurgischen Eingriffen zur Reduktion des Augeninnendrucks bei Patienten mit Offenwinkelglaukom. Weiterlesen 1004