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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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Artist's rendering of photoreceptor signaling a retinal ganglion cell

Computer model fosters potential improvements to ‘bionic eye’ technology

Researchers at Keck School of Medicine of USC develop signals that could bring color vision and improved clarity to prosthesis for the blind.

NEI joins call for standardization of ophthalmic imaging devices

Not all health care providers speak the same language, but the software in their clinical imaging devices can and should.
Image shows cone cells, labeled in red.

Turning back the clock on a severe vision disorder

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine report findings of a gene therapy to treat a severe form of Leber congenital amaurosis, caused by mutations in the NPHP5 gene.

Preventive treatment reduces diabetic retinopathy complications

Early treatment with anti-VEGF injections slowed diabetic retinopathy in a clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network (DRCR.net). However, two years into the four-year study its effect on vision was similar to standard treatment.
Retina model shows RPE cells, choroidal neovascularization-like pathology, vascular layer, PEG layer, Bruch's membrane, drusen

First-ever lab model of human eye offers hope for macular degeneration patients

NEI-funded research at the University of Rochester has led to the development of a 3D lab model that mimics the part of the human retina affected in age-related macular degeneration.

Sign-language exposure impacts infants as young as 5 months old

While it isn’t surprising that infants and children love to look at people’s movements and faces, recent research from Rochester Institute of Technology studies exactly where they look when they see someone using sign language.
Grey scale electron microscopy image of human retinal cells.

New genetic links found to rare eye disease, opening the door to better diagnostics and potential treatments

NEI-funded research at Scripps Research Institute has turned up more than a dozen gene variants linked to MacTel, a rare eye disease. The variants are likely causing the condition to develop and worsen for a significant share of patients.

Artificial Neuron Device Could Shrink Energy Use and Size of Neural Network Hardware

Training neural networks to perform tasks, such as recognizing images or navigating self-driving cars, could one day require less computing power and hardware thanks to a new artificial neuron device.
Anti-VEGF treatment has greatly improved the prognosis for patients with AMD.

National Eye Institute launches data portal for macular degeneration research

The National Eye Institute (NEI) Data Commons now enables researchers to access data from patients with macular degeneration who participated in the Age-related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2).
Rod and cone photoreceptors are shown in greyscale images.

NIH-led team sets new bar in retinal imaging

A team led by scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI) has noninvasively visualized the light-sensing cells in the back of the eye, known as photoreceptors, in greater detail than ever before.