NEI Research News

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, find that restoring opsins with gene therapy can make 'blind' cells light-sensitive; potential human treatment within three years.

Hundreds of new genes linked to blindness and other vision disorders have been identified in a screen of mouse strains. Many of these genes are likely important in human eye vision and the results could help identify new causes of hereditary blindness.

During aging, loss of vision and cognition often coincide. In a new study, researchers funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) have found that vision loss precedes loss of mental capacity.

Researchers have found that the brain makes new connections in those with early blindness (i.e. those born with or who have acquired profound blindness before the age of 3).

During Low Vision Awareness Month, the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is highlighting new technologies and tools in the works to help the 4.1 million Americans living with low vision or blindness.

The number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the United States is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according to projections.

A new technique that has the potential to treat inherited diseases by removing genetic defects has been shown for the first time to hinder retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease with no known cure that can lead to blindness.

Retinal implants that deliver longer pulses of electrical current may noticeably improve image sharpness for individuals who have lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa, according to a new study.

NantWorks LLC has released the new LookTel Recognizer app designed to help people who are blind or visually impaired recognize everyday objects by using their iPhone camera.

Erik Weihenmayer has climbed mountains around the world - the highest peaks, in fact, on every continent. One afternoon a few years ago, however, a climbing wall in a local gym served as the setting of a most memorable journey.