https://medicalxpress.com/ophthalmology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Ophthalmology The retina of the human eye contains 6–7 million cone cells. These cells contain light-sensitive proteins known as cone opsins. They enable us to perceive our surroundings in detail in daylight. They allow us to see the world in thousands of colors: red strawberries, green leaves, the blue sky. They also enable us to see all the objects around us clearly. And they allow us to perceive fast movements, such as the rush of a train or the flight of a dragonfly. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-3d-views-human-cone-opsins.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:07 EDT news701596014 A new collaborative study by Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center marks a significant advance toward noninvasive blood testing, one of the most significant unmet needs in the market. The researchers have developed an artificial intelligence–based system capable of assessing hemoglobin levels and red blood cell counts using a short video recording of the blood vessels in the eye's conjunctiva, the transparent membrane covering the white part of the eye, without the need for a needle prick or blood draw. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-video-tiny-vessels-eye-ai.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:00:09 EDT news701598662 Very preterm infants face up to a 50% higher risk of developmental challenges affecting movement, learning, language and behavior. Today, many of those challenges are not fully recognized until later in infancy or early childhood. Doctors have lacked reliable tools to identify which infants are most vulnerable during the early neonatal period, when timely intervention could have the greatest impact. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-simple-eye-scan-preterm-infants.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:00:30 EDT news701531942 Every sunrise and sunset sends the body a signal, keeping the circadian clock running on a roughly 24-hour cycle. This clock evolved so organisms could adapt to Earth's daily rotation, syncing their biology to the pattern of day and night. Artificial lighting has freed human societies from relying on the sun to go about daily life, extending activity well into the night, but this convenience comes with a trade-off. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-exposure-bright-evening-linked-higher.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:20:03 EDT news701516478 Many conditions that cause vision loss share a common feature: the gradual breakdown of the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye. Although scientists know some of the structural changes that ensue as this damage progresses, less is understood about the molecular signals that shape how the retina copes with disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-erucamide-molecule-eye-response-retinal.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:40:06 EDT news701360308 Often called "the window to the soul," the eyes may also offer clues about something less poetic but just as important: the health of the brain. A new study of tens of thousands of patients has revealed that cheap, simple and common photographs of the retina at the back of the eye can accurately predict many of the most common risk factors associated with developing Alzheimer's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-retinal-alzheimer-disease-factors.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:40:03 EDT news700846621 In a study exploring how an AI-assisted diagnostic tool shaped care for underserved populations at multiple community-based primary care sites, investigators at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, found that African American patients with diabetes were more likely to receive a diabetic eye exam referral if screened by an AI tool. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-tool-shown-eye-disparities.html Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news700233493 A new understanding of retinal cell development may help pave the way for future retina transplants, which could restore sight to people whose conditions currently have no effective treatments, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their findings were published today in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-retinal-cell-subgroups-effective-transplants.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:40:04 EDT news700489381 Low-concentration atropine eye drops are a safe and effective treatment for short-sightedness (myopia) in UK children, although the effects are small, suggests a clinical trial published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-dose-atropine-eye-safe-effective.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700388342 Reading seems like a straightforward process. The eyes scan the words, and the brain turns them into meaning. But it's not always that simple. Readers regularly skip words, sometimes without realizing it. New research from USF shows how the brain still processes those skipped words using peripheral vision, even as the eyes move past them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-peripheral-vision-readers-words-milliseconds.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:20:06 EDT news700232024 The rods and cones in your eyes are responsible for helping you see, but what is responsible for helping them? Retinal pigment epithelium cells are their caretakers, but environmental, genetic and aging factors can strain them and make them less effective. This is known as age-related macular degeneration—a leading cause of blindness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-lab-grown-aging-eye-reveals.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 06:20:01 EDT news700029566 Non-invasive eye scans allow doctors a zoomed-in, three-dimensional look beneath the eye's surface without causing discomfort or pain to the patient. Used routinely in clinics worldwide, the scans produce detailed views of individual layers of the eye's interior to help diagnose conditions that threaten vision. But with that level of precision comes a flood of data—hundreds of images per scan that physicians have to review manually, a time-consuming process that is vulnerable to human error. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-tools-eye-doctors-retinal.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:00:02 EDT news699881657 An AI-assisted model based on 71 different blood proteins could help doctors better predict retinal degeneration in diabetic patients before symptoms occur, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine by Huangdong Li from the Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-blood-proteins-flag-diabetic-retinal.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:00:01 EDT news699546421 An international team led by University of Manchester scientists has created the most detailed picture yet of how genetic differences shape the way the human eye works. The breakthrough could help explain why millions of people develop sight-threatening conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as rarer inherited eye diseases. The research is published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-genetic-human-eye-reveals-clues.html Tue, 26 May 2026 08:20:03 EDT news699001502 Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among aging people globally. Around one in seven Australians over the age of 50 have some signs of AMD. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-static-people-common-degenerative-disease.html Mon, 18 May 2026 14:20:09 EDT news698332117 Eyes, the high-resolution biological devices that help us visualize the outside world, are now being used as a portal to assess our internal health. Scientists have found that a closer evaluation of how one's retina is aging can provide crucial hints about bone health, especially in conditions such as osteoporosis, which makes bones weaker and more prone to fractures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-written-eye-retina-biological-age.html Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:09 EDT news698322087 Materials scientists have designed brain-stimulating contact lenses that are as effective as Prozac at treating depression in mice. The soft, transparent contact lenses have in-built electrodes that deliver mild electrical signals to the brain via the retina to stimulate specific brain regions associated with depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-contact-lenses-depression-mice-effectively.html Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:06 EDT news697885681 Researchers in the WashU Medicine Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences have discovered key neuroprotective genes that could lead to the development of gene therapies to treat retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited form of retinal degeneration that causes blindness. The findings, published in Neuron, point to new therapeutic strategies to maintain retinal health and protect against degeneration. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-genome-wide-screen-yields-gene.html Mon, 11 May 2026 16:40:04 EDT news697733926 A major international study led by Flinders University has identified a genetic contributor to juvenile glaucoma. Published today in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, the study marks another important step toward treating multiple forms of glaucoma with the support of genetic testing. While glaucoma typically affects older adults, many people are unaware it can affect younger people too. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gene-duplication-juvenile-glaucoma-patients.html Thu, 07 May 2026 13:20:02 EDT news697378081 A type of drug used to prevent migraine may be associated with a reduced risk of glaucoma, according to a study published in Neurology. The study compared 36,822 people who took calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitor drugs to prevent migraine to the same number of people who took other types of migraine prevention drugs. However, the results do not prove that CGRP inhibitor drugs directly cause the reduced risk of glaucoma; they only show an association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-migraine-drugs-glaucoma.html Wed, 06 May 2026 19:20:03 EDT news697305841 Groundbreaking research from the University of Houston shows that a single low-dose atropine eye drop can produce daylong effects in managing myopia, or nearsightedness, which affects roughly one-third of U.S. adults. Professor of Optometry Lisa Ostrin and postdoctoral researcher Barsha Lal are reporting that even one drop in the eye of low-dose atropine (0.01%–0.1%) produces clear changes in pupil size and focusing ability that persist for at least 24 hours. Importantly, they also found that the drop shows no short-term structural effects on the eye, with only temporary changes in blood flow inside the retina. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-dose-eye-adult-myopia-hours.html Mon, 04 May 2026 15:00:08 EDT news697123801