News

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.

Quantitative analysis of colour vision defects provides the possibility of follow-up and may be a useful means for detecting early glaucomatous changes in patients with normal visual fields.

Biologists at the Florida State University, USA, have discovered a gene mutation in Zebrafish that determines if the cells develop as rods or as cones.

Many patients undergoing phacoemulsification want more than simply cataract extraction. Dr Detlev Breyer says that advances in surgical technique and IOL design have made it possible to satisfy most patients' requirements.

It is essential that clinicians familiarize themselves with the full spectrum of glaucoma medication available, concludes a study published in the March 2009 issue of Current Opinion in Ophthalmology.

The founder of a public database that helps ophthalmologists and other members of the medical profession is the recipient of the 2009 March of Dimes/Colonel Harland Sanders Award for lifetime achievement in the field of genetic sciences.

The trend for microincisional procedures is escalating. Dr Boris Malyugin compares SICS and C-MICS.

A single procedure may be as effective as repeated anti-VEGF injections claims Timothy L. Jackson.

Dr Gilles Lesieur asks: Do disposable microincision knives or diamond knives provide patients with the best postoperative visual outcome?

It would probably be safe to assume that everyone reading this piece will have at least heard of Twitter; even if they are not actually using it. However, knowing that Twitter is out there and using it effectively are two very different things.

Dr Sami El Hage outlines a technique for early detection of corneal ectasia using four different displays: the normal average cornea, Zernike polynomials, Fourier harmonics and elevation plots.

Blindness in millions of people with diseases that starve eye tissue and nerves of oxygen might be averted with a procedure being developed by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Southern California and the University of Tennessee.

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.

According to Eye Research Australia researchers at the University of Melbourne, a high intake of fresh and processed red meat is positively associated with early AMD, the leading cause of blindness among older people. Diet has often been postulated to alter the risk of AMD.

The CABERNET (CNV Secondary to AMD Treated with Beta RadiatioN Epiretinal Therapy) clinical trial is pivotal to establishing the safety and effectiveness of a beta radiation based focal epimacular brachytherapy device. Its development in bringing a paradigm shift in the way retina specialists treat wet AMD patients moved a step closer as Neovista Inc. secured more than $18 million in its Series D private venture funding round.

In infants with birth weights of 1250 g, haemangiomas are associated with the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to study data published in the March 2009 issue of Pediatrics.

BD OcuSeal Liquid Ocular Bandage, a fully synthetic protective barrier to be used for post-surgical, post-traumatic and non-traumatic ocular conditions, has been launched in Europe by BD Medical?Ophthalmic Systems.

Lux Biosciences has just completed its enrolment in the company's Phase III LUCIDA (LUx Corneal Transplant Implant Development and Advancement of Therapy) clinical trial programme for LUMITECT (LX201), a silicone matrix ocular (episcleral) implant designed to provide the continuous release for one year of therapeutic levels of cyclosporine A locally to the eye to prevent corneal transplant rejection.

When treating post-phacorefractive keratectomy (PRK) discomfort, there are no significant differences in either safety or efficacy between bromfenac twice-daily and ketorolac four times daily, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

According to research analysts it is estimated that as little as five percent of a topically applied drug ever reaches the intraocular tissues due to drug loss as the result of tearing, lacrimal fluid-eye barriers, and blood-ocular barriers.

iForum, a surgeon-support website to enable the adoption of canaloplasty into clinicians' practices, has been launched by iScience Interventional.