News, Links and Commentary
Saturday, April 30, 2005
More Evidence That Smoking Increases Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
British research has shown that smokers over the age of 75 years are twice as likely to have macular degeneration. Read more in '28 000 Cases of age related macular degeneration causing visual loss in people aged 75 years and above in the United Kingdom may be attributable to smoking' (Evans, J.R. and others in the British Journal of Ophthalmology May 2005, Volume 89, Number 5, pages 550-553).
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Thursday, April 28, 2005
Foresight Seeks A Cure, Offers Support
Foresight is a Dubai-based organisation that aims to raise funds for research into Retinitis Pigmentosa. The group also runs a support network for people living in or nearby the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Katy Newitt is Foresight's spokesperson and shares her experiences of RP with visitors to Foresight's accessible Web site.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs May Slow Age-Related MD
Canadian researchers have completed an observational study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis to find if they are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration as a result of taking drugs known as NSAIDS. Dr Patrick McGeer of the University of British Columbia and Dr John Sibley of the University of Saskatchewan found the rate of macular degeneration in the study group to be 10 times lower than in groups of similarly aged people in other studies who did not have rheumatoid arthritis ('Common painkillers may help prevent, slow macular degeneration: study', Canada.com, 25 April 2005). The research was published in the current issue of Neurobiology of Aging.
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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Retinal Implant Research Presented at Vision 2005
The Vision 2005 is currently being held in London in the UK. Among the many presentations on issues affecting blind and vision impaired people are two concerning research into retinal prostheses.
The BBC reported on a presentation by Dr Gislin Dagnelie from Johns Hopkins University in 'Bionic eye will let the blind see' (5 April 2005), while the Register reported on Dr Ronald Schuchard's presentation on the the Artificial Silicon Retina in 'Chip improves vision, baffles scientists' (5 April 2005). Dr Schuchard is Director of the Atlanta VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Center and an Associate Professor at Emory University.
The abstracts to both presentations can be found at Abstracts - Monday 4 April - Vision 2005 and are headed '116.04 - Dagnelie, Gislin: Prosthetic vision for the blind: the future in sight?' and '116.01 - Schuchard, Ronald: Recovery of visual function in retinitis pigmentosa with the subretinal artificial silicon retina setinal prosthesis.'
Please Note: The BBC article referenced above incorrectly states that Dr. Dagnelie designed a bionic eye. While Dr. Dagnelie is involved with research into artifical vision, he has not designed a retinal implant and has not claimed to do so.
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The BBC reported on a presentation by Dr Gislin Dagnelie from Johns Hopkins University in 'Bionic eye will let the blind see' (5 April 2005), while the Register reported on Dr Ronald Schuchard's presentation on the the Artificial Silicon Retina in 'Chip improves vision, baffles scientists' (5 April 2005). Dr Schuchard is Director of the Atlanta VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Center and an Associate Professor at Emory University.
The abstracts to both presentations can be found at Abstracts - Monday 4 April - Vision 2005 and are headed '116.04 - Dagnelie, Gislin: Prosthetic vision for the blind: the future in sight?' and '116.01 - Schuchard, Ronald: Recovery of visual function in retinitis pigmentosa with the subretinal artificial silicon retina setinal prosthesis.'
Please Note: The BBC article referenced above incorrectly states that Dr. Dagnelie designed a bionic eye. While Dr. Dagnelie is involved with research into artifical vision, he has not designed a retinal implant and has not claimed to do so.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Retinal Cells From Embryonic Stem Cells
Advanced Cell Technology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and University of Chicago researchers derived retinal cells from embryonic stem cells in September of last year.
The cells could help treat people with macular degeneration, which affects more than 30 million people worldwide. The disease gradually causes complete loss of sight and is the leading cause of blindness in people older than 60 in the United States. The cells could also help people with retinitis pigmentosa, which afflicts about 75,000 people in the United States.
'Stem Cells May Open Some Eyes,' Wired 24 September 2004. The study was published in the 3 November 2004 issue of Cloning and Stem Cells.
Thanks to Tony from the United Kingdom for drawing my attention to this research!
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"These cells actually make the cones and rods," said Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology and lead author of the paper. "We're in a position to not only maintain vision so you don't get further loss, but these cells appear to want to form entire eyeballs."
The cells could help treat people with macular degeneration, which affects more than 30 million people worldwide. The disease gradually causes complete loss of sight and is the leading cause of blindness in people older than 60 in the United States. The cells could also help people with retinitis pigmentosa, which afflicts about 75,000 people in the United States.
'Stem Cells May Open Some Eyes,' Wired 24 September 2004. The study was published in the 3 November 2004 issue of Cloning and Stem Cells.
Thanks to Tony from the United Kingdom for drawing my attention to this research!
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Computer Use With A Vision Impairment Simulator
The Visual Impairment Simulator (VIS) shows computer users what it's like to use the computer when you have a vision impairment. The simulator changes the screen display so that it simulates retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, cataracts, colour blindness, glaucoma, and hyperopia (farsightedness). The simulator is a project of students at the University of Illinois. The program is freely available at the Visual Impairment Simulator download page. Feedback about the simulator is welcomed and can be given at the
VIS Forum.
Note:I downloaded a copy myself but found that it did not work on my computer. If you have more success, please let me know.
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VIS Forum.
Note:I downloaded a copy myself but found that it did not work on my computer. If you have more success, please let me know.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Stanford Test Artificial Vision Implant on Rats
New Scientist reports that researchers at Stanford University in California have tested a new artificial vision system on rats (''Bionic eye' may help reverse blindness', 31 March 2005). The researchers' design was published 22 February in the Journal of Neural Engineering. More information is available in 'Scientists design 'bionic eye' that could someday help the visually disabled' (The Stanford Report, 30 March 2005).
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