News by Subject Medicine & Health

A recent study, led by researchers at McGill University and published in the journal Scientific Reports, offers an important step in unlocking the mystery of LHON's cause. The researchers had previously showed that the cells that connect the eye to the brain were sensitive to a certain free radical, known as 'superoxide,' and hypothesized that the presence of too much superoxide was likely the cause of LHON.

University of British Columbia researchers have developed a specialized microscope that has the potential ability to both diagnose diseases that include skin cancer and perform incredibly precise surgery -- all without cutting skin.

Participants in a phase I/II clinical trial of a new enzyme-based treatment for severe dry eye disease experienced reduced signs of disease and discomfort, according to a paper in Translational Vision Science and Technology.

Scientists have found significant differences in the shape and biology of the same type of cell taken from different parts of the retina, according to a study in eLife.

A discovery opens the possibility of one day restoring loss of vision by activating the retina's ability to regenerate. Researchers have discovered that the mammalian retina, although it does not spontaneously regenerate, has a regenerative capacity that is kept dormant by a cellular mechanism called the Hippo pathway.

More Americans are being diagnosed with eye complications of shingles, but older adults can call the shots on whether they are protected from the painful rash that can cost them their eyesight.

A study of adults 40 and older suggests high cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk for the most common form of glaucoma, while longer use of a cholesterol-lowering statin, compared with never using, was associated with lower risk. Data for this observational study came from more than 136,000 adults who participated in three national study groups and provided information on their statin use and cholesterol levels over 15 years.

People with diabetic macular edema, who still have good vision, as measured by standard exam with an eye chart, can safely forego immediate treatment of their macular edema as long as they are closely monitored, and treatment begins promptly if vision worsens.