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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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21 items
Nanoparticle. Courtesy of Biorender.

Tiny nanoparticle could have big impact on patients receiving corneal transplants

March 24, 2023

Using nanoparticles to encapsulate eye medication decreased graft rejection while requiring fewer and smaller doses.
Decorative

HSC researcher discovered a potential cause for keratoconus

February 8, 2023

Researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center are the first to characterize extracellular vesicles in the tears of patients with keratoconus.
Dongkyun "DK" Kang

UArizona engineer leads $1M project to fight vision loss

March 17, 2022

Biomedical engineering and optical sciences professor DK Kang is developing a way to diagnose and treat corneal ulcers that's eight times cheaper and 20 times faster than today's gold standard.

University of Oregon researchers develop gene therapy for eye disease

August 3, 2021

Researchers have developed a new gene therapy that could eventually provide an alternative treatment for Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy, a genetic eye disease affecting roughly one in 2,000 people globally.
3D printed model of Sars-CoV-2

COVID-19 Found in The Cornea: Are Transplants a Transmission Risk?

December 10, 2020

A multi-institutional study finds that COVID-19 can be found in post-mortem corneal tissue, highlighting the importance of the donor screening process.
3D printed model of Sars-CoV-2

Cornea appears to resist infection from novel coronavirus

November 3, 2020

New findings from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest the eye’s cornea can resist infection from the novel coronavirus.
Stem cell illustastration

New stem cell technique offers hope for those with corneal damage

September 1, 2020

Harvard Medical School surgeons at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have replaced the ocular surface of four patients who each experienced chemical burns to one eye.
Close up of woman's face.

Seeing corneal degeneration in a new light

June 17, 2020

The molecular changes that lead to Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) occur decades before the disease causes blurry vision and other noticeable symptoms in patients, new research by UT Southwestern scientists shows.
Scientists in the laboratory

Lipid helps heal the eye’s frontline protection

March 27, 2020

A species of a lipid that naturally helps skin injuries heal appears to also aid repair of common corneal injuries, even when other conditions, like diabetes, make healing difficult, scientists report.
David Schmidtke

Unlocking the mystery of corneal healing

February 14, 2020

New research by bioengineer David Schmidtke is helping understand how corneal repair cells called keratocytes sometimes result in scarring and blindness.