NEI Research News

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45 items

Gene Editing Technique Improves Vision in Rats with Inherited Blindness

January 7, 2016

A new technique that has the potential to treat inherited diseases by removing genetic defects has been shown for the first time to hinder retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease with no known cure that can lead to blindness.

USC Eye Institute researchers discover a way to improve image sharpness for blind people with retinal implants

December 17, 2015

Retinal implants that deliver longer pulses of electrical current may noticeably improve image sharpness for individuals who have lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa, according to a new study.

Image of gene therapy preserved vision in a study involving dogs.

Gene Therapy Staves Off Blindness from Retinitis Pigmentosa in Canine Model

October 13, 2015

Gene therapy preserved vision in a study involving dogs with naturally occurring, late-stage retinitis pigmentosa, according to research funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Images of the brain generated by diffusion tensor imaging, a type of MRI. The red highlights show visual pathways in the brain that deteriorate in patients with LCA, but appear to improve with gene therapy to the retina. Credit: Dr. Manzar Ashtari, University of Pennsylvania.

With LCA Gene Therapy, a Rare Glimpse of the Adult Brain Adapting to New Experience

August 4, 2015

When people lose the ability to see, how do the visual parts of the brain change in response? And if they regain their sight, are the changes reversed?

A microglial cell (green) extends spider-like arms to capture and consume rod photoreceptor cells (blue). Credit: Dr. Wai Wong, NEI.

In Blinding Eye Disease, Trash-Collecting Cells go Awry, Accelerate Damage

July 2, 2015

Spider-like cells inside the brain, spinal cord and eye hunt for invaders, capturing and then devouring them. These cells, called microglia, often play a beneficial role by helping to clear trash and protect the central nervous system against infection.