(Source: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health) Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed a technique that will streamline the production of stem-cell derived tissues. The technique will help the researchers in their efforts to use patients’ skin cells to create new retinal tissue, a therapy that has been recently applied to [Read More]
Author: droberts
Woman Receives Retinal Stem Cells Made From Her Own Skin
On September 12, 2014, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan surgically transplanted into the eye of a woman a sheet of retinal pigment cells made from her own skin. This marks the first time stem cells from a person’s own body have been induced to become retinal cells and implanted into [Read More]
Low Vision Conferences Becoming High-Tech Accessible
Organizations for the blind and visually impaired will soon be able to provide indoor navigation technology at their national conferences. The service, called “Audio Guide”, is being offered free gratis to charitable organizations by Macular Degeneration Support, with financial backing by Macular Degeneration Foundation. Beginning in 2015, conference attendees will be able to more easily [Read More]
New Approach to Low Vision Rehab Cuts Risk of Depression in Half
Depression is a common risk for people who have lost their vision, but a new study shows that a new approach called “behavior activation” can cut the risk in half. Researchers from Wilmer Eye Institute, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and Wills Eye Hospital have announced results from their Low Vision Depression Prevention Trial (VITAL), designed [Read More]
Myopia: Genetic or Environmental?
by Dan Roberts Ophthalmic nearsightedness (myopia) results from an abnormal elongation of the eyeball during the growing years. This extra “axial length” causes objects at a distance to appear out of focus, which can usually be corrected with prescription glasses. The physical aspects of extreme nearsightedness (hypermyopia), however, can lead to a type of uncorrectable [Read More]