What's Inside
- Brain structures that can help with sight restoration discovered.
- Small molecule drugs may help cure some forms of blindness.
- Warning signs of dying photoreceptor cells.
- New medication for RP fast tracked.
- And, 20 other stories about the science and medicine of blindness from all over the world.
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
Study Finds Brain Structures that Can Help With Sight Recovery
An international study team, including researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, has found evidence of brain structures that underlie sight recovery in people born blind and may help treat the condition. The team included 23 congenitally blind patients (aged 7-17 years) from Uttar Pradesh with dense bilateral cataracts who received cataract surgery at different stages of adolescence. This story comes to us from: weather.com.
New gene therapy could reverse a common cause of blindness
The path to reversing a common cause of blindness might be in our eyes already — and a new gene therapy shows how to take advantage of it. This story comes to us from: Freethink.
New small-molecule drugs show potential clinical utility in treating world’s leading causes of blindness
In a University of California, Irvine-led study, researchers have discovered small-molecule drugs with potential clinical utility in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This story comes to us from: News Medical.
Golden Rice blocked; Glyphosate protects species
Golden Rice blocked; Glyphosate protects … Rice to prevent blindness and death caused by vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This story comes to us from: YouTube.
FDA accepts application for faricimab-svoa for treatment of retinal vein occlusion
FDA accepts application for faricimab-svoa for treatment of retinal vein … for the treatment of retinal conditions that can cause blindness. This story comes to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
How doctors diagnosed a woman's eye infection linked to bacteria in eyedrops
It took months to confirm the source of the rare bacteria that blinded the Ohio woman, and left three dead, eight with vision loss and four having their eyeballs removed. This story comes to us from: NBC Right Now.
UK study explores perception of scale
Professor of vision science at Aston University, Tim Meese, … Scientists create 3D printed contact lens to alleviate colour blindness. This story comes to us from: Association of Optometrists.
How long does it take to go blind from macular degeneration? Find out what the experts say
If it converts to the wet type, the time to potential blindness is faster. This story comes to us from : MSN.
UCI researchers discover new drugs with potential for treating leading causes of blindness
According to researchers, these chronic, progressive retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, arise from genetic and environmental disruptions of cellular and tissue stability. This story comes to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
These are warning signs of dying photoreceptor cells
Bent lines, a dark spot in the field of vision: with such visual disturbances you should go to the ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Even blindness can threaten. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive death of the visual cells at the point of sharpest vision in the eye, the macula. This story comes to us from: BreakingLatest.news.
Endogena Therapeutics' fast-tracked regenerative medicine for Retinitis Pigmentosa
… a new drug for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa. … of inherited blindness – RP is estimated to affect 1.5 million people worldwide. This story comes to us from: The Medicine Maker.
Gene therapy helps combat some forms of blindness – and ongoing clinical trials are looking to extend these treatments to other diseases
Can gene therapy changed how doctors treat genetic eye diseases and blindness? This story comes to us from: Connecticut Post.
Adversity in Early Childhood Can Impair Brain Development
Adverse early childhood experience leaves persisting traces in brain structure, highlighting the importance of preventive measures for healthy brain development. This story comes to us from: Scientific American.
Cataract accounts for 82% of blindness cases in TN
Of all the causes of blindness in Tamil Nadu, Cataract remains as the top one as about 82 per cent of all cases are due to the same. This story comes to us from: dtnext.
Preventing Blindness
How long does it take to go blind from macular degeneration? Find out what the experts say
Most people with the dry type will have a slow loss of vision. This story comes to us from: MSN.
Mining boss's shocking glaucoma diagnosis prompts education
The boss of a uranium mining giant is urging people to get regular eye tests after he was recently diagnosed with a condition that would have left him blind if untreated. This story comes to us from: ABC.
This popular cosmetic injection is linked to 12 reports of blindness
"If used incorrectly … injectables can cause skin damage, blindness and even death. This story comes to us from: ABC News.
Orbis, FedEx team up to train eye care professionals in Vietnam
A child is prepped for surgery on the Flying Eye Hospital in Danang. This story comes to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
UCI researchers discover new drugs with potential for treating world’s leading causes of blindness in age-related and inherited retinal diseases
Molecular mechanisms of stress resilience-enhancing drug (SRED) therapy: Retinal degeneration involves a complex, multifactorial combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures that accumulate over a lifetime and eventually overwhelm intrinsic stress resilience mechanisms, which can be enhanced pharmacologically by SREDs to alleviate disease and preserve vision. This story comes to us from: Newswise.
Preclinical trial opens our eyes to a new potential cure for blindness
Photoreceptor cells differentiated from human embryonic stem cells could provide a new treatment avenue for retinal diseases. This story comes to us from: RegMedNet.
Breakthrough Gene Therapy Reverses Vision Loss In Humans, Study Finds
Université de Montréal researchers have devised a treatment strategy to bring back vision among people with degenerative retinal disease. This story comes to us from: The India Times.