Researchers have achieved dynamic, atomic-scale views of a protein needed to maintain the transparency of the lens in the human eye. The work, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, could lead to new insights and drugs for treating cataract and a variety of other health conditions. Aquaporin proteins form water channels between cells and are found in many tissues, but aquaporin zero
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Study of Aquaporins Could Hold Clues to Cataract
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3904 days ago (Editorial)Cataract Surgery for Children: What Every Parent Should Know
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3904 days ago (Editorial)
In some rare cases, children are born with visible cataracts or develop them during childhood. If you are the parent of such a child, it’s important to understand more about cataract surgery as an option. Cataracts in children can be scary for parents, but in most cases, cataract surgery can restore the child’s vision. According to the Boston Children’s Hospital, approximately one child in 5,000
Your Eyes May Hold Clues to Stroke Risk
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3904 days ago (Editorial)
Photographing the retina may help detect which high blood pressure patients are more likely to have a stroke. Retinal imaging may be an inexpensive and non-invasive way to assess risk. In a study reported in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, researchers said retinal imaging may someday help assess if you're more likely to develop a stroke -- the nation's No. 4 killer and a lead
Cataract Prevention Hope from New Close-Up View Of Protein
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3910 days ago (Editorial)
Researchers have discovered atomic-scale views of an eye protein that maintains transparency of the lens in the human eye, which could potentially lead to new ways of treating and preventing cataracts. A study, published in the Nature journal Structural and Molecular Biology, shows how scientists have achieved dynamic views of a protein found only in the lenses of mammalian eyes - aquaporin zero
Eye-Inspired Tunable Imaging System Has Medical Potential
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3910 days ago (Editorial)
Engineers from the University of Freiburg, Germany have built a novel type of imaging system inspired by the human eye. It is claimed the technology could lead to new imaging instruments and microscopes for use in medicine and scientific research. Such devices would be used for detecting the early signs of skin cancer or help to provide early visual cues for food spoilage. The new imaging system
Intraocular Lenses
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3910 days ago (Editorial)
For patients who have extreme myopia or hyperopia it may be possible to implant a lens in the eye to correct the refractive error without removing the natural lens. This will allow patients who are not yet presbyopic, to retain their normal focusing ability for near vision. A small lens can be inserted through extremely small incisions in front of the natural lens to correct nearsightedness or fa
Better Treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3910 days ago (Editorial)
Many countries have experienced a startling rise in obesity rates over the past 2 decades. Obesity carries many health-related implications, including an increased risk for diabetes mellitus, which affects an estimated 6.3% of the US population and 4% of the worldwide population. Diabetes often affects the small vasculature of end organs, including the eye. Diabetic retinopathy affects about one
Medical Researchers Implant Telescope for Macular Degeneration
Posted by Praveen (#2) 3910 days ago (Editorial)
Physicians at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center have become the first in Virginia to successfully implant a telescope in a patient's eye to treat macular degeneration. The telescope implant is designed to correct end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most advanced form of AMD and the leading cause of blindness in older Americans. Patients with end-stage AMD have