retinal diseases

Anti-VEGF Drugs For Retinal Diseases Could Have Serious Side Eff...

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:15:12 -0600

Scientists have found that reducing the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is best known as a stimulator of new blood vessel growth, in adult mice causes the death of photoreceptors and Muller glia -- cells of the retina that are essential to visual function. This finding holds implications for the chronic use of promising new anti-VEGF drugs such as Lucentis, which eliminate abnormal and damaging blood vessel growth in the retina by neutralizing VEGF.

Vision Partially Restored In Blind Mice

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:00:09 -0500

The idea of going blind is a frightening thought for anyone. Recent work to restore visual function during retinal degenerative diseases resulting in complete loss of photoreceptors that enable vision, has created hope that retinal diseases leading to blindness may one day be reversed.

Gene Therapy Improves Vision In Patients With Congenital Retinal...

admin — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Researchers have used gene therapy to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness -- Leber congenital amaurosis. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight, the preliminary results set the stage for further studies of an innovative treatment for this and possibly other retinal diseases.

Fruit fly phlebotomy holds neuroscience promise

admin — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A team of UIC neuroscientists has developed a technique for extracting useful quantities of insect blood from a single fruit fly. The technique may prove useful in genetic studies and for studying minute amounts of fluid from disease hot-spots, such as those where some retinal diseases begin.