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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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136 items
Fundus photograph of age-related macular degeneration showing drusen.

Discovery suggests new way to prevent common causes of vision loss

UVA Health scientists have discovered an unknown contributor to harmful blood vessel growth in the eye that could lead to new treatments for blinding macular degeneration and other common causes of vision loss.
Printed cells

NIH researchers use 3D bioprinting to create eye tissue

Scientists used patient stem cells and 3D bioprinting to produce eye tissue that will advance understanding of the mechanisms of blinding diseases.
retina blood vessels

One of two widely used AMD drugs outperforms other at weaning patients off treatment at one year, preliminary study shows

A pilot study of 106 patients with “wet” AMD revealed that nearly half of patients treated with Eylea could safely stop therapy after one year, compared to only 17% of patients treated with Avastin.

3D map reveals DNA organization within human retina cells

National Eye Institute researchers mapped the organization of human retinal cell chromatin, the fibers that package 3 billion nucleotide-long DNA molecules into compact structures that fit into chromosomes within each cell’s nucleus.
RPE cell

NEI scientists publish protocol for making patient-derived eye tissue

The protocol gives step-by-step instructions, starting with patient-derived pluripotent stem cells, transitioning them to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and finally maturing them into RPE tissue.
Ants

Anti-insulin protein linked to longevity and reproduction in ants

An insulin-suppressing protein may be the fountain of youth for ants and provides clues about aging in other species, according to a study led by New York University researchers.
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First U.S. patient receives autologous stem cell therapy to treat dry AMD

The patient received the therapy as part of a clinical trial that is the first in the United States to use replacement tissues from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells.

NIH study finds loss of ‘youth’ protein may drive aging in the eye

Loss of the protein pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which protects retinal support cells, may drive age-related changes in the retina, according to a new study in mice from the National Eye Institute.
Illustration of a woman wearing sunglasses and a hat.

Protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV light

Did you know the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can also damage the eyes? Here are some common questions and answers about UV light and how to protect your eyes from the sun.
Colorful artistic visualization of the retina.

Measuring Levels of Proteins in Eye Fluid May Accurately Predict Need for Lifelong Macular Degeneration Therapy

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found that levels of a specific protein appears to help accurately predict whether people with the wet form of age-related macular degeneration may need lifelong, frequent eye injections to preserve vision.