Category: Research and Developments

NIH research points to microglia as potential therapeutic target in retinitis pigmentosa Spider-like cells inside the brain, spinal cord and eye hunt for invaders, capturing and then devouring them. These cells, called microglia, often play a beneficial role by helping to clear trash and protect the central nervous system against infection. But a new study [Read More]

Intas Pharmaceuticals, a company based in India, has launched RAZUMAB™, an anti-VEGF drug that is “biosimilar” to Lucentis. This means that RAZUMAB has a synthesized chemical structure that can substitute for, but not duplicate, Lucentis. To make biosimilarity possible, scientists must show that the new product is highly similar and have no significant differences from [Read More]

by Dan Roberts (Also available in audiovisual format) INTRODUCTION This is my 10th annual summary of leading research and developments that have occurred during the past 12 months in the field of blindness and low vision. For more details about any of the reports, sources are provided. Many studies and clinical trials are moving ever [Read More]

The color (pigmentation) of the retina, or lack thereof, is thought to play a role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The substance that provides pigmentation is melanin, and a precursor to the pigment melanin is called L-DOPA. Since L-DOPA converts into dopamine in the brain, it has been used as a treatment [Read More]

Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. (now owned by Acucela) has announced positive results in four Asian patients who were treated with the company’s proprietary RPE stem cells. These new data support previously reported positive long-term safety and signs of visual improvement, as reported here in October 2014. The Korean study, published online in Stem Cell Reports, features [Read More]