Dr. Robert Langer’s medical technologies may someday reach 2.5 billion people, including those with retinal diseases. That’s according to venture capitalist Terry McGuire, who introduced him as a featured speaker at the Symposium on Retinal Innovation recently hosted in Boston by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The event brought together investors and retinal scientists to discuss potential collaborations and partnerships for advancing retinal-disease treatments.
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Archive for the Research Category
A Foundation-funded research team at the University of Pennsylvania — in collaboration with scientists from Michigan State University, the University of Florida and the University of Miami — has found a remarkable way to restore function to fledgling cones, the retinal cells most critical to our daily lives. Drs. András Komáromy and Gutavo Aguirre injected a high dose of a protein called ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) into the eyes of older dogs with achromatopsia, a retinal disease that causes day blindness from cone dysfunction and degeneration. What happened next is extraordinary.
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There’s no denying that collaboration is key to every aspect of the Foundation’s work – whether it’s researchers sharing their findings among peers to advance treatments, volunteers banding together to fundraise for events or venture capitalists investing in start-up companies developing vision-saving treatments. And my new role, as board secretary for the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, or NAEVR, is no exception.
I’ve been conducting or overseeing scientific research for more than 40 years (yikes!), but I continue to be humbled by its nuances, complexities and ambiguities. Sometimes, just when you think you have something figured out, you find evidence to the contrary. Sometimes, as Vladimir Lenin said, progress is made by taking “one step back, two steps forward.”
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My ophthalmologist’s voice was firm and direct. “You’re going blind.” Tough words for a 5-year-old to digest.
Years later — despite efforts to cure my retinal disease, first as a graduate student, then as a postdoctoral researcher focused on ocular pathology — I came to accept the truth that those words carried. I was slowly being forced to adapt to a world not designed for me, or for any visually impaired person. But the progressive nature of my disease, retinitis pigmentosa, meant that time was on my side. I had time to change how I do things, how I communicate, how I think.
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I am very excited about ProgSTAR, the Foundation’s new study monitoring and documenting the progress of vision loss and retinal changes in people with Stargardt disease. On the surface, the study might not sound very exciting, because it isn’t evaluating a potential cure. However, the information gleaned from ProgSTAR will be of enormous value in designing future clinical trials for Stargardt disease treatments.
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The retina — the sight-enabling tissue lining the backs of our eyes — doesn’t get much visibility in pop culture. (Pun intended.) It rarely gets mentioned on television or in movies. And it’s ironic that the retina is critical to creating and interpreting visual art, yet is rarely explored as an artistic subject.
There is one exception to this phenomenon: Blue Man Group. No strangers to the innovative or avant garde, the multimedia theater troupe produced a lively performance about the retina that was captured on YouTube. I think you’ll find the video (and audio) to be entertaining and informative. Personally, I don’t know how they make it through an entire show wearing blue make-up with the consistency of acrylic paint.
Researchers are developing a number of promising treatment approaches for blinding retinal diseases, which include: correcting genetic defects; replacing lost retinal cells with new ones; and implanting electronic chips, like the recently FDA-approved Argus II. But, sometimes, saving vision simply comes down to keeping retinal cells alive, or at least slowing their degeneration. Known as “neuroprotection,” this approach isn’t just for the retina — it has the potential to preserve and protect all kinds of neural cells, including brain tissue and cells of the central nervous system.
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The timing couldn’t be better. This Friday, March 1, the U.S. Congress, by not voting on ways to decrease the federal deficit, will allow automatic, across-the-board budget cuts to go into effect instead. Known as “sequestration,” Congress’ inaction will harm retinal research spending, in particular, by gutting the National Eye Institute of the equivalent of 90 grants aimed at restoring or saving vision.
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“Translational research” is the mantra for many of the retinal scientists funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In a nutshell, the phrase refers to the advancement of vision-saving therapies from laboratories into clinical trials and out to the people who need them.
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Steve is highly respected for his expertise and tireless commitment to finding treatments and cures for vision-robbing retinal diseases. 
As the Foundation's senior science writer, Ben writes science and research articles for the Foundation’s website, newsletters and Eye on the Cure blog. 
As the Foundation's senior writer, Rich writes and edits content for all of the Foundation’s print and online publications, including its blog, Eye on the Cure. 