What's Inside
- Can blindness be cured?
- More effective treatment for glaucoma researched.
- COVID-19 and depression in blind patients.
- And, about 20 articles about the science and medicine related to blindness from all over the world.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
This was a good week for stories about the science related to blindness. Glaucoma dominated the stories this week but there are a pretty wide variety of other stories as well.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Science Briefs.
Disclaimer
World Blind herald does not write the stories to which we link in Science Briefs, we gather them, curate them and bring them to our readers. We are not scientists ourselves and cannot guarantee the validity of the stories in this digest. We do, however, want to be very clear that you should not attempt any of the medical interventions mentioned in Science Briefs without first consulting a professional ophthalmologist and discussing it with them. Do not take medical advice from this or any other web site or podcast without first consulting a professional.
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Science and Medicine
Can Blindness Be Cured?
There's no current cure for blindness. But treatments can offer help for some people, depending on the cause and progression of their vision loss. This story comes to us from: Healthline.
Valeria Canto-Soler, PhD: Envisioning a Cure for Blindness
I dream of the day when we may see all our efforts crystalized into our very first medical treatment to restore vision in blind patients! This story comes to us from: CU Anschutz Newsroom.
Newly identified therapeutic target could lead to more effective treatment of glaucoma
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that causes vision loss and blindness due to a damaged optic nerve. This story comes to us from: News Medical.
Study tackles role of one long noncoding RNA in diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the major cause of acquired blindness in working age adults, and mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in its pathogenesis. This story comes to us from: Today@Wayne – Wayne State University.
###[New Research Aims to Curb Altzheimer's and Help Blind See by Hearing][100]
Researchers at Reichman University’s Brain Cognition and Technology department in Israel say they may have killed two birds with one stone: staving off Alzheimer’s disease and helping blind people navigate. This story comes to us from Hamodia.
COVID-19 on depressive symptoms in low vision patients
A previous study reported that patients with blindness have a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 than those with mild or without visual impairment. This story comes to us from: Dove Medical Press.
Managing Glaucoma The Second Leading Cause Of Blindness
World Glaucoma Week is celebrated annually in March to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of glaucoma. This story comes to us from: BW Healthcare.
Debunking top 5 glaucoma myths
However, with proper medication and treatment from ophthalmologists, it is possible to protect the eyes from permanent blindness. This story comes to us from: CanIndia News.
['She's going to be able to see': A 3-year-old's battle with a rare eye cancer][53]
The ability to see is a beautiful thing, but imagine losing your eyesight because of a rare eye cancer. Not only was that the reality for Quatisha East, but also for her three-year-old daughter. This story comes to us from: THV11.
African Americans Have Highest Rates of Diabetic Macular Edema
Dr. Varma: Our research demonstrates African-Americans bear a heavier burden of diabetic macular edema (DME), one of the leading causes of blindness in diabetic patients in the United States, compared to Non-Hispanic whites. The study points to a need for improved screening and greater attention to vision loss by clinicians and patients particularly those who are at high risk of developing diabetic macular edema. This story comes to us from: MedicalResearch.com.
Jeff Levenson '80 Is Curing Needless Blindness with Cataract Surgery
Levenson recently worked with YouTube star MrBeast to perform 1,000 surgeries around the world. This story comes to us from: Princeton Alumni Weekly.
Glaucoma major cause of blindness
There are modern medical equipment for timely diagnosis and treatment. This story comes to us from: The News International.
NCDs contributing to visual impairment
Nearly 30 percent of the 2.2 Billion people with a vision problem or blindness globally live in the South-East Asia Region. This story comes to us from: Kuensel Online.
Social media star who advocates for blind community set to get 'life-changing' gene therapy
This young man from Pickering uses social media to raise awareness about vision loss, making treatment accessible. This story comes to us from: CBC.
Large-scale study enables new insights into rare eye disorders
Researchers have analysed image and genomic data from the UK Biobank to find insights into rare diseases of the human eye. These include retinal dystrophies – a group of inherited disorders affecting the retina – which are also the leading cause of blindness certification in working-age adults. This story comes to us from: EurekAlert.
IIT-K Licenses Gene Therapy To Reliance Life Sciences
It has shown significant promise in correcting the vision impairment in animal models of blindness. This story comes to us from: Ommcom News.