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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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New nerve insights could someday help heal certain types of blindness and paralysis

June 5, 2023

UConn School of Medicine researchers report that a small population of nerve cells exist in everyone that could be coaxed to regrow, potentially restoring sight and movement after injury.
Decorative

NEI publishes town hall report on cell-based products for treating retinal disease

May 4, 2023

The National Eye Institute has published "Stem cell sources and characterization in the development of cell-based products for treating retinal disease: An NEI town hall report."
Rods and Cones image

Early study shows cones in retinal degeneration, thought to be dormant, may retain visual function

March 27, 2023

New UCLA research in mice suggests that “dormant” cone photoreceptors in the degenerating retina are not dormant at all, but continue to function, producing responses to light and driving retinal activity for vision.

Small creatures teach big lessons

January 24, 2023

In the vision field, researchers turn to a variety of small, non-mammalian animal models to help bridge gaps in our scientific knowledge.
Microscopy image of red fluorescent retinal neurons

Lab-grown retinal eye cells make successful connections, open door for clinical trials to treat blindness

January 4, 2023

Retinal cells grown from stem cells can reach out and connect with neighbors, according to a new study, completing a “handshake” that may show the cells are ready for trials in humans with degenerative eye disorders.
Microelectrode array and 2-photon microscope.

Human brain organoids implanted into mouse cortex respond to visual stimuli for first time

December 28, 2022

A team of engineers and neuroscientists has demonstrated for the first time that human brain organoids implanted in mice have established functional connectivity to the animals’ cortex and responded to external sensory stimuli.
Fluorescently labeled injured zebrafish retina.

Study identifies a signaling cascade behind retina regeneration in zebrafish

December 9, 2022

Research from University of Michigan scientists reveals Vegf-Notch signaling system that is activated in the injured retina, gives Muller glia stem cell properties.
LCA is an inherited disorder that causes vision loss in childhood. It primarily affects the functioning of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, as shown here. Photo credit: National Eye Institute

Eye-opening discovery about adult brain’s ability to recover vision

October 5, 2022

University of California, Irvine team demonstrates the adult brain has the potential to partially recover from inherited blindness.
Fluorencent microscope image of retinal organoid colored in red, blue and green

Three teams win NIH’s 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge

August 31, 2022

Three scientific teams that developed physiologically competent retinal organoid systems have won the final phase of the 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge (3D ROC).
Photoreceptor precursors

Progress toward a stem cell–based therapy for blindness

July 28, 2022

A multi-institutional effort led by researchers at the UPenn School of Veterinary Medicine is taking steps to develop an effective technique to regenerate photoreceptors cells and restore sight in people with vision disorders.

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