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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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88 items
Illustration of the front of the eye

International Team Identifies 127 Glaucoma Genes in Largest Study of Its Kind

Researchers for the first time analyzed genes in more than 34,000 people with glaucoma across multiple ancestries and found 44 new genetic variants that may lead to new treatment targets.

A Rift in the Retina May Help Repair the Optic Nerve

In experiments in mouse tissues and human cells, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found that removing a membrane that lines the back of the eye may improve the success rate for regrowing nerve cells damaged by blinding diseases.

A Niche for the Eye

Research from the Stowers Institute suggests that the ciliary body might be key to detecting eye diseases before vision is impaired.
Image shows eye globe, optic nerve, lens, cornea, pupil, meshwork, angle, and where fluid forms and exits the front of the eye.

Cataract surgery in infancy increases glaucoma risk

Children who undergo cataract surgery as infants have a 22% risk of glaucoma 10 years later, whether or not they receive an intraocular lens implant. The findings come from the National Eye Institute (NEI)-funded Infant Aphakic Treatment Study.

Hydrogel Could Open New Path for Glaucoma Treatment Without Drugs or Surgery

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a potential new treatment for the eye disease glaucoma that could replace daily eyedrops and surgery with a twice-a-year injection to control the buildup of pressure in the eye.
Axon nerve fibers on a red background

Vision Revision

Scientists reverse age-related vision loss, glaucoma damage in mice.
NEI Audacious Goals Initiative for regenerative medicine in vision identity mark

Eye institute’s audacious quest: What once was lost might now be regrown

The National Eye Institute (NEI) Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI) is exploring the possibility that the natural world holds the keys to restorative therapies that might unlock regenerative powers in humans.
Scientist viewed through a laboratory shelf filled with bottles

AGI-supported researchers discover gene pathways that regenerate neurons between the eye and the brain

A team of researchers has identified networks of genes that allow neurons to regenerate in animals like zebrafish.
Zebrafish

Could a tiny fish hold the key to curing blindness?

NEI-funded scientists are hacking the zebrafish’s innate regenerative capacity to learn how to treat human disease.
Microscopy image in blue and green showing mouse optic nerve

NIH-funded study identifies stem cells in optic nerve

A National Eye Institute-funded study has identified a type of stem cell called a neural progenitor cell, in a region of the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain.