News

Positive interim data results from the Phase II trial of OT-551 to treat geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of AMD, have been announced by Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc.

1.25 million neurons view the world through receptive fields, which operate like a multi-layered jigsaw puzzle. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies imply that the nervous system operates with higher precision than previously appreciated, and that apparent irregularities in individual cells may actually be coordinated and more finely tuned.

The first ophthalmic surgery in Europe using the CE mark approved I-SIPxAE Adherent Ocular Bandage was conducted in the UK by Dr Daniel Calladine and Mr Richard Packard.

The Schepens Eye Research Institute has found that retinal dysfunction may be caused by blocking the growth factor TGF-beta. The research may have an important impact on the prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

"Recognising the trend amongst European ophthalmologists to sub-specialise has been a high priority for the European Society of Ophthalmology," its president Gabriel van Rij told Ophthalmology Times Europe.

"When treating patients with DME, ophthalmologists should consider the role of the glitazone class of drugs," warn the authors of a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Scientists at New York's Rochester University say that playing violent video games may improve contrast sensitivity, which is often impaired by amblyopia.

The premarket application for VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies Inc's implantable telescope for end-stage AMD has been approved, with conditions, by the FDA in the US.

A Swiss startup company, Sensimed, has developed a novel technology for measuring increases in intraocular pressure.

A new method for corneal transplantation developed by Dr Cesar Carriazo, Centro Oftalmológico Carriazo, Colombia was presented at the recent ASCRS 2009 in San Francisco.

Ciliary epithelial cells inside the eye, previously proposed as retinal cell stems, have now been established as being normal adult cells. The misidentification was uncovered by Michael Dyer, PhD and researchers at the St Jude Department of Developmental Neurobiology.

In what is believed to be the first comprehensive eye disease study among urban pre-schoolers, investigators writing in the April issue of the journal Ophthalmology report that while vision problems are rare, they are more common than once thought.

Researchers at the Moran Eye Centre are using transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) to develop TEM-compatible molecular probes with software that will tag cells with a molecular signature, creating 'colour' TEM imaging.

One of the world's leading eye research centres, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, has been awarded three PhD studentships worth £280,000 tenable from October 2009.

Prior to the 17th Congress of The European Society of Ophthalmology - Societas Ophthalmologica Europea (SOE) the society is sounding a call to action and warning that its success depends on the support of each and every ophthalmologist.

The investigative research group Catalyst for a Cure has made significant discoveries developing a better understanding of the insidious changes caused by glaucoma and is developing strategies to prevent them.

It is best to confirm visual field (VF) abnormality as shown by Standard Automated Perimetry (SAP) with either a further SAP test or a Short-Wavelength Automated Perimetry (SWAP) test, concluded a study published in the March 2009 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

Dr Christoph Kranemann examines the medium-term success and complication rate of mitomycin-assisted bleb needlings.

A newly-developed fast real-t PCR (f-real-t PCR) test is an effective and much more rapid way to diagnose bacterial endophthalmitis (BE), concluded a study published online ahead of print by the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

News, April 2009

While researching the long-suspected gene linked to glaucoma, WDR36, Michael Walter, PhD, and team discovered that the gene STL1 is only one of many other genes in which mutations must take place in order for WDR36 to cause glaucoma.

Dr Randall Olson looks at the results of head-to-head testing of the latest phacoemulsification machines.

Dr Vikas Shankar has found that in the diabetic population with OAG, the optic nerve damage occurs at a lower intraocular pressure in comparison with the non-diabetic OAG population and asks: does screening hold the key?

Your thoughts on the efficacy of initiatives such as World Glaucoma Day.

Dr José Luis Menezo looks at improving the visual acuity of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using an IOL-Vip system.

Peribulbar anaesthesia is the most effective way to control injection-related pain resulting from intravitreal delivery of bevacizumab, according to a study published in the January/February issue of Clinical Science.

Among diabetic macular oedema (DME) patients, those with diffuse retinal thickening (DRT) experience greater reductions in retinal thickening after undergoing focal laser photocoagulation when compared with either cystoid macular oedema (CME) or vitreomacular interface abnormalities (VMIA) patients, according to a study published online ahead of print by the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Although there appears to be a relationship between open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and cardiovascular disease, its nature remains unknown, reported a study published online ahead of print by Eye.

Patients in need of visual corrections whose vision is not affected by existing high-order aberrations (HOAs) may have an alternative to wavefront treatment using an aberration-free method.