Medicine News Posts
The newest webcast from Perkins features Luisa Mayer, Ph.D., an internationally known specialist in visual field/functional vision testing.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 30, 2013 in Medicine, Videos | Add new comment
Boston Children's Hospital is running a pilot program with inpatient care using a new app they've developed to help organize and facilitate communication between a patient's family and their doctors.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 17, 2013 in Medicine | Add new comment
What does the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine have to do with diseases of the retina? Maybe nothing, at first, but Dr Yamanaka's work with stem cells (specifically induced pluripotent stem cells) may have wide-reaching benefits for researchers working on curing degenerative retinal diseases.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Oct 25, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) announces the successful implantation of a "bionic eye." BVA attached the device, which contains 24 electrodes that stimulate the retina's nerve cells, to Dianne Ashworth's retina. Dianne has retinitis pigmentosa, but they hope to also be able to use the device for patients with age-related macular degeneration.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Sep 04, 2012 in Medicine | 1 Comment Add new comment
A new study restores "normal vision" in mice with diseased retinas using a new type of retinal prosthetic which relies on the use of the retina's "code" that communicates with the brain.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Aug 21, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
EyeMusic is a sensory substitution device that turns visual data into music so that blind users can hear what's around them. Users of EyeMusic wear glasses with a small video camera mounted on the frame. The camera scans the images in front of the user then transmit music back through an ear piece.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jul 10, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
The United Healthcare Children's Foundation is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to help pay for their child's health care treatments, services or equipment not covered by their health insurance plan. Find out if you're eligible and how to apply!
Shared by Amber Bobnar on May 31, 2012 in Fundraising, Medicine | Add new comment
Can a watch-like sensor replace the EEG? Researchers say that this watch can detect seizure activity by measuring "sympathetically mediated electrodermal activity" which "has been suggested as containing enough information to profile a seizure." They say they can even predict seizures with this watch.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on May 03, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
Second Sight announces that their artificial retina (also known as a retinal microchip), the Argus II, is now available for public purchase in Europe.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Mar 01, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
Tami Morehouse, a patient with LCA, reports on how her vision has improved after having both eyes treated with gene therapy. Her story appears in BBC Health News.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Mar 01, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a possible method for treating X-linked retinitis pigmentosa using gene therapy.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 30, 2012 in Medicine | 1 Comment Add new comment
Advanced Cell Technologies, a leading research company in the field of regenerative medicine, is reporting that a recent study to test the safety of stem cell treatment for common forms of retinal degeneration has been successful.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 30, 2012 in Medicine | Add new comment
Are the parent of a child with LCA? Help raise awareness and advocacy be taking this survey!
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Oct 07, 2011 in Medicine | Add new comment
The Georges family is trying to raise money so they can attend a conference for Phelan-McDermid Syndrome where they can meet other families affected by this disorder. Their story is so moving because it is so much like others who have been touched by rare diseases.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jul 28, 2011 in Fundraising, Medicine, Videos | Add new comment
Researchers at the London's UCL Institute of Ophthalmology have had success with gene therapy in a mouse model of LCA which is caused by mutations in the GUCY2D gene.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jun 16, 2011 in Medicine | Add new comment
Learn about ongoing research and studies into an oral medication, QLT091001, designed to restore vision in patients with certain types of LCA and RP genetic mutations.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jun 14, 2011 in Medicine | Add new comment
Japanese researchers have used embryonic stem cells to grow retinas in a test tube.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on May 16, 2011 in Medicine | Add new comment
Europe has just approved a device developed by Second Sight Medical and they are working on getting FDA approval in the US.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Apr 29, 2011 in Medicine, Technology, Videos | 3 Comments Add new comment
Information on a lecture on retinoblastoma on the campus of Watertown's Perkins School for the Blind is attached. Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye that develops in early childhood and progresses rapidly. This post refers to a lecture series which occurred in the past.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Feb 10, 2011 in Conferences, Medicine | Add new comment
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) specializes in the development of cellular therapies for all sorts of conditions, including retinal disorders like Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Our medicine and technology departments cover the latest news.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 04, 2011 in Medicine, Technology | Add new comment
When you hear the term "bionic eye," it is likely being used to describe the retinal microchip, an implant that is returning vision to some patients. We recap progress being made with a dozen patients in Europe.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 04, 2011 in Medicine, Technology | Add new comment
Sarah J. Blake, creator of the Growing Strong website, discusses the use of the term "transplant" in speaking about eyes. She explains what is and is not possible and provides some clear explanation of how corneas are harvested.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Oct 30, 2010 in Medicine, Parenting | Add new comment
Following the successful transplantation of cone cells, a research team from University College London has successfully transplanted rod cells, essential for peripheral and night vision. Cells were injected directly into the retinas of lab mice; within 21 days, new photoreceptors had been grown.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Oct 02, 2010 in Medicine, Technology | 3 Comments Add new comment
Ciliopathy refers to a genetic disorder in the cilia of cells, which may or may not affect the cells themsleves. Genetic research is revealing that mutations may be linked to ciliary function and cause some conditions such as Joubert syndrome and Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Sep 29, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
Cornea transplant has evolved into stem cell replacement therapy. Under certain conditions, a cornea can generate cell growth from the individual's own stem cells. Burns from caustic chemicals have the most successful recovery. This post also includes a link to Mike May's personal account of corneal regrowth, called Crashing Through.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jul 01, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
Lots of science news in this post, including therapies for genetically inherited visual impairment, results on oral retinoid replacement trials, and gene therapy study in animals.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on May 25, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
Can the visual impacts of Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) be corrected through an oral medication? Pharmaceutical company QLT is testing that hypothesis with QLT091001, a synthetic retinoid replacement. Early results on three patients showed rapid improvement.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on May 05, 2010 in Medicine | 1 Comment Add new comment
NanoRetina of Israel has developed a bionic retinal implant to replace natural photoreceptors, and expects to begin testing within the U.S. in 2013.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on May 04, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
LCA can sometimes be associated with kidney disorders. We've put together a list of tests that should make sure you or your child's kidneys are in perfect working order.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Apr 29, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
View a brief video explaining macular degeneration, a type of visual impairment that affects 1 in 10 elderly Americans.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Mar 27, 2010 in Medicine, Videos | Add new comment
When a medical condition affects fewer than 200,000 Americans, the National Institutes of Health may designate it an "orphan disease." Stargardt's is a condition that may be treated by cell therapy developed by Advanced Cell Technologoy (ACT) of Worcester, MA. Its status as an orphan drug can help accelerate approval.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Mar 06, 2010 in Medicine | 5 Comments Add new comment
QLT Inc announces the opening of its Phase Ib pediatric trial of an oral synthetic retinoid gene replacement. We monitor medical research and trials across the range of visual impairments.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Mar 06, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
The source of retinal pathologies like that associated with Joubert's Syndrome may originate in the cilia of cells. Scientists at UC-San Diego report their findings in this Health Sciences update.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Feb 01, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
We share up-to-date gene therapy news through our Medicine category. In 2010, Tufts University developed a tool that improves the delivery of DNA to retinal cells for the treatment of degenerative eye disorders.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Jan 29, 2010 in Medicine | Add new comment
In 2009, the CBS Early Show featured Corey Haas and his family, who spoke of their participation in LCA gene replacement therapy. This appearance is from 2009, when Corey was then nine years old. Dr. Steve Rose from the Foundation Fighting Blindness joins the panel.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Nov 30, 2009 in Medicine, Videos | 1 Comment Add new comment
A British man with retinitis pigmentosa has test driven the "bionic eye," a set of implanted receivers that send impulses through the optic nerve and into the brain. Thirty-five test users are trying out the device worldwide, following a four-hour surgical procedure.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Nov 28, 2009 in Medicine | 1 Comment Add new comment
The Boston Retinal Implant Project unveiled a prototype prosthetic for people with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and macular degeneration. This post links to a New York Times article which also discusses the adaptable nature of the brain and visual cortex.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Nov 05, 2009 in Medicine | Add new comment
Links to articles on gene therapy research specific to Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Trials with adult subjects suggest improvement is possible.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Nov 03, 2009 in Medicine | Add new comment
Experiments in microchip technology are being conducted to develop an artificial retina. Human trials showed promising results in restoring light perception and enabling subjects to distinguish large print lettering.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Sep 29, 2009 in Medicine, Technology | 2 Comments Add new comment
Through the strength of our parent-to-parent networking, we learn news of the Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) gene replacement trials, straight from Dr. Robert Koenekoop of Montreal Children's Hospital.
Shared by Amber Bobnar on Sep 25, 2009 in Medicine | 1 Comment Add new comment