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

Gene Therapy Staves Off Blindness from Retinitis Pigmentosa in Canine Model

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.
Grantee News

Seeing in a New Light

Researchers have used fruit flies and mice to make novel discoveries about sensory physiology at both cellular and molecular levels that are important for light processing.
National Advisory Eye Council

National Advisory Eye Council Welcomes Three New Members

The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of NIH, has appointed three new members to the National Advisory Eye Council (NAEC) who are attending their first NAEC meeting as council members today.
Dr. John Guy and colleagues added a homing signal to a virus in order to deliver the ND4 gene into mitochondria. A marker for the gene is shown in red and the ND4 protein is shown in green, inside retinal ganglion cells in the mouse eye. The nuclei of retinal ganglion cells are shown in blue. Credit: Dr. Hong Yu, Bascom Palmer.

Scientists Test New Gene Therapy for Vision Loss From a Mitochondrial Disease

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a novel mouse model for the vision disorder Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), and found that they can use gene therapy to improve visual function in the mice.
Grantee News

How the Retina Marches to the Beat of Its Own Drum

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington report new research that sheds light on how the retina sets its own biological rhythm using a novel light-sensitive pigment, called neuropsin, found in nerve cells at the back of the eye.
The findings suggest that people may be able to lower their risk of AMD by eating a healthy diet, exercising and by not smoking.

Diet, Exercise, Smoking Habits and Genes Interact to Affect AMD Risk

People with a genetic predisposition for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) significantly increased their odds of developing the blinding eye disorder if they had a history of smoking and did not exercise or eat enough fruits and vegetables.
Grantee News

Identified Genetic Interaction Offers Possible New Target for Glaucoma Therapy

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have elucidated a genetic interaction that may prove key to the development and progression of glaucoma.
Dr. Rachel Bishop and Dr. Allen Eghrari, from the Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute, shown here with the advanced imaging technologies being used for the PREVAIL III study in Monrovia, Liberia.

NEI Team in Liberia Investigates Ocular Effects Among Ebola Survivors

Following the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that took the lives of more than 11,200 people in the region, the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has deployed a team of clinicians and technical experts to Monrovia...
Object motion and amacrine cells in retina

Circuit in the Eye Relies on Built-In Delay to See Small Moving Objects

When we move our head, the whole visual world moves across our eyes. Yet we can still make out a bee buzzing by or a hawk flying overhead, thanks to unique cells in the eye called object motion sensors.
NIH study raises doubt about any benefits omega-3 and dietary supplements like these may have for cognitive decline. (Photo courtesy of NEI)

NIH Study Shows no Benefit of Omega-3 or Other Nutritional Supplements for Cognitive Decline

While some research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can protect brain health, a large clinical trial by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that omega-3 supplements did not slow cognitive decline in older persons.