Eye

A protein, previously found to be an effective blood-based biomarker of neurodegenerative diseases, has for the first time been detected in eye fluid. The discovery lays the foundation for eye tests to catch neurodegenerative diseases before symptoms appear.

Impressive new work has demonstrated a potential way to restore vision in those suffering from degenerative diseases of the retina. A single injection of nanoparticles was found to create a working artificial retina, restoring vision to blind rats.

Studies have seen physical activity slow age-related vision loss, but it hasn’t been clear how causal that relationship has been. New research is now offering the first evidence to show how exercise can directly slow, or prevent, macular degeneration.

Scientists at Columbia University have developed a potential new treatment for a major source of blindness in the form of eye drops that preserve retinal function, with tests on human subjects now in the works.

A new study has demonstrated how a form of deep red light therapy can help address age-related decline in vision. Hitting the retina with just the right wavelength of light was found to recharge its energy system in those over 40 years old.

The human eye is incredibly complex, so it's very hard to reverse engineer. Now researchers have unveiled the world’s first 3D artificial eye, which can not only outperform other devices but has the potential to see better than the real thing.

Scientists in the UK have been putting an AI to the test for diagnosing glaucoma, with the results of the trial indicating it can pick up on progression of the disease 18 months earlier than current methods.

The results of a first human trial testing a gene therapy for complete color blindness have been published. The data suggests the experimental gene therapy is safe, and potentially efficacious, opening the door to larger human trials in the future.

While scientists have successfully produced various "organ-on-a-chip" models of body parts, the eye is particularly challenging, as a tear film is regularly moved across its surface as we blink. That action has recently been replicated, in a new device.

The CRISPR gene-editing tool has been used inside the human body for the first time. In a new clinical trial, scientists at Oregon Health and Science University are testing the technique as a treatment for a genetic mutation that causes blindness.

It can sometimes be challenging for ophthalmologists, making definitive on-the-spot diagnoses of eye problems. A new "smart" contact lens is designed to help, however, by changing color in response to two common disorders.

Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness, and there may now be new hope for treating or even preventing it. An international team of scientists has identified a specific protein that may be the cause of the disorder.