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Cell-based therapies have long been thought of as an alternative treatment option for patients with a range of diseases caused by organ and tissue failure, inclusive of heart attack, diabetes, corneal blindness, and cystic fibrosis. While great in theory, in practice, these therapies show limited clinical success in many applications due to low cell viability …
According to the press release, the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) established that dietary supplements can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in older Americans. In a new report, scientists analyzed 10 years of AREDS2 data. They show that the AREDS2 formula, which substituted antioxidants …
Developing therapies for genetic forms of blindness is extremely challenging, in part because they vary so widely, but scientists from Trinity College Dublin have highlighted a target with great promise for treating a range of these conditions. The scientists, led by a team from Trinity’s School of Genetics and Microbiology, have just published their findings …
An international coalition of eye researchers used machine learning to develop classification criteria for 25 of the most common types of uveitis, a collection of over 30 diseases characterized by inflammation inside the eye. Together, these diseases are the fifth leading cause of blindness in the United States. The Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) Working …
A new gene has been discovered that causes cardiomyopathy and blindness according to researchers at the University of Geneva, who suggest they have also halted progression of eye disease as well as treated cardiac disease by administering a food supplement. The genome consists of 20,000 genes all of which are capable of triggering disease, estimates …
Breakthroughs in stem cell therapy may make it possible for those who are blind to see again, according to research stem cells taken from the eyes of non-living donors can be used to cure blindness, as published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. Although the researchers from Scotland still need to perfect the technique to get …
Scientists from the University of Waterloo have been able to coax stem cells to grow into three dimensional retinas in a dish and show that the tissue responds to light, however putting those cells into the damaged eyes in a manner that will improve vision could present a much harder challenge. The UofW faculty has …
New telescopic contact lens may improve sight for macular degeneration patients. In age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, there is loss of central vision due to damage to the eye’s retina. Visual aids that magnify incoming light help AMD patients see by spreading light around to undamaged parts …
Regular aspirin use may associate with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – a leading cause of blindness in older people. Aspirin is among the most widely used medications in the world, most notaby utilized in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in …
UCLA-led team safely uses human embryonic stem cells to treat macular degeneration. In the first-ever application of its kind, University of California/Los Angeles (UCLA; California, USA) scientists safely use human embryonic stem cells to treat macular degeneration in two patients. Steven Schwartz and colleagues also reports that some evidence suggested improvement in vision in this …