On June 17, 2009, OptoLight Vision Technology announced that it received a CE mark for its Lipshitz Macular Implant (LMI), named for its inventor, Isaac Lipshitz. This will allow OptoLight to immediately begin marketing the implant in Europe and other markets outside of the United States. On December 28, 2007, Optolight Vision Technology announced success [Read More]
News
siRNA Turns Off Bad Genes
by Dan Roberts (updated April 2009) A new type of anti-VEGF drug called “small interference RNA (siRNA),” is showing promise in its ability to turn off genes that cause wet AMD. A preliminary primate study in early 2004 showed that, at the highest dose used in the study siRNA (formerly called RNAi) “reduced the incidence [Read More]
Cataract Surgery and Retinal Degeneration
by Dan Roberts Originally published and updated 2/2/09 A cataract causes clouding of the normally transparent lens of the eye. As the lens becomes more opaque, the rays of light are prevented from focusing on the retina, leading to symptoms such as blurriness, light sensitivity, glare, distortion, and fading of colors and vision. Cataracts are [Read More]
Echothiophate (ECHO) Therapy Causes a Stir in the Low Vision Community
by Dan Roberts November 2003 (Updated January 29, 2009) A Connecticut ophthalmologist has been reporting success from a deceptively simple treatment on patients with Stargardt’s disease and other non-neovascular forms of retinal disease. Dr. Gerard Michael Nolan has performed the treatment, called ECHO therapy, for nearly three years on more than 200 patients at the [Read More]
Vitamin C Can Lower CRP Levels
by Dan Roberts January 2009 A UC Berkeley study led by Gladys Block, PhD, suggests that 1,000 mg of daily supplemental vitamin C can lower concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), the marker associated with systemic inflammation. (Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Jan. 1, 2009). It suggests that a daily dose of supplemental vitamin C can [Read More]