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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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20 items
Cells of the fruit fly brain.

Buck researchers uncover intriguing connection between diet, eye health and lifespan

June 7, 2022

Researchers from the Buck Institute have demonstrated for the first time a link between diet, circadian rhythms, eye health and lifespan.
Anti-VEGF treatment has greatly improved the prognosis for patients with AMD.

National Eye Institute launches data portal for macular degeneration research

March 17, 2021

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).
Illustration of the front of the eye

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

February 24, 2021

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.

HIV Drugs May Help Prevent Blinding Macular Degeneration

February 1, 2021

Scientists have identified a group of drugs that may help stop a leading cause of vision loss after making an unexpected discovery that overturns a fundamental belief about DNA.
Color-coded map of gene expression. Credit: Desplan Lab/NYU

NYU researchers create a "developmental atlas" of gene expression in neurons

November 4, 2020

New York University researchers created a “developmental atlas” of gene expression in neurons, using gene sequencing and machine learning to categorize more than 250,000 neurons in the brains of fruit flies.
Scientist viewed through a laboratory shelf filled with bottles

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

October 5, 2020

A team of researchers has identified networks of genes that allow neurons to regenerate in animals like zebrafish.
Diagram of RPE cell loss

Report: Dry AMD requires broad, systems biology approach leveraging big data, multiple disciplines

July 26, 2019

A large-scale, collaborative, systems biology approach is needed to expedite the discovery of treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – a leading cause of blindness among people 65 and older for which is there is no treatment.
Grantee News

A step closer to identifying cause of a blinding disease

May 22, 2019

A recent study, led by researchers at McGill University, offers an important step in unlocking the mystery of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy’s cause.
Two boys smile at camera. Dark spot in center of image represents vision loss from AMD.

NIH Researchers Hone in on Genes Linked to Age-Related Macular Degeneration

February 11, 2019

National Eye Institute scientists led a collaborative study and zeroed in on genes associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss and blindness among people age 65 and older.
Glaucoma causes the loss of peripheral vision. This photo shows two boys in the center surrounded by blackness to depict the tunnel vision that can occur as the disease progresses.

NEI funded researchers identify 133 genetic variants that predict glaucoma risk

May 31, 2018

Researchers funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) have identified 133 genetic variants that predict with 75-percent accuracy a person’s risk for developing glaucoma related to elevated pressure within the eye.