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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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42 items
Image of retina

High-tech imaging reveals details about rare eye disorder

July 28, 2022

Using a new imaging technique, researchers from the National Eye Institute have determined that retinal lesions from vitelliform macular dystrophy (VMD) vary by gene mutation.
Multicolored image of photoreceptors and their long connecting processes, called axons, within a stem cell-derived retinal organoid

U. Wisconsin eye research uncovers how stem cell photoreceptors reach their targets

June 15, 2022

A new study reveals how photoreceptors grown from stem cells might extend biological wires, known as axons, to contact existing neurons.
Comparison of two retinal images.

Gene therapy for rare eye disease safe but lacks efficacy in early trial

May 31, 2022

A 28-patient phase 1 gene therapy clinical trial for the degenerative retinal disease Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) found no significant safety concerns; however, treatment failed to improve or slow vision loss, with even the highest dose.
Group of cells tinted purple in the middle and pink at the edges representing a human induced stem cell colony from a patient with albinism.

NIH researchers develop first stem cell model of albinism to study related eye conditions

January 11, 2022

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have developed the first patient-derived stem cell model for studying eye conditions related to oculocutaneous albinism (OCA).
Rod outer segment showing connector

UC Irvine researchers reveal molecular mechanisms of eye disease using cryo-electron tomography

January 4, 2022

Understanding the key structural determinants of a highly specialized membrane in the eye could lead to new treatments.
Mother and her daughter smile for the camera

Genomic Study Revealing Among Diverse Populations with Inherited Retinal Disease

October 19, 2021

International effort identified new and different causative gene variants for a group of diseases that can lead to severe vision loss or blindness.

Gene therapy shows promise in treating rare eye disease in mice

April 13, 2021

A gene therapy protects eye cells in mice with a rare disorder that causes vision loss, especially when used in combination with other gene therapies, shows a study published in eLife.
Image shows cone cells, labeled in red.

Turning back the clock on a severe vision disorder

March 31, 2021

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.
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

March 25, 2021

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.

New Research Sheds Light on Vision Loss in Batten Disease

February 5, 2021

New research shows how the mutation associated with Batten disease could potentially lead to degeneration of light sensing photoreceptor cells in the retina, and subsequent vision loss.

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