https://medicalxpress.com/ophthalmology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Ophthalmology 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 A study led by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center helps explain why uveal melanoma, the most common form of eye cancer, often spreads to the liver. The uvea is the middle layer of the eye, including the iris. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-protein-eye-cancer-liver.html Fri, 29 May 2026 08:40:01 EDT news699262322 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 A history of atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with an increased risk for retinal detachment (RD), according to a study published in Ophthalmology Retina. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-atopic-dermatitis-linked-retinal-detachment.html Mon, 25 May 2026 21:40:05 EDT news698914501 A new study has identified hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1 (HAVCR1) as a biomarker that could make it easier to diagnose rare but aggressive forms of brain and eye cancer earlier and with fewer invasive tests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-treatment-rare-brain-spinal-cord.html Fri, 22 May 2026 19:40:02 EDT news698677286 Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Okayama University in Japan have developed and tested in mice a promising new eye drop formulation for treating dry eye disease. The team reports in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science that the treatment significantly reduced typical dry eye characteristics, such as inflammation, damage to the eye surface and loss of goblet cells, which produce factors that help stabilize tears and lubricate the eye. The findings support conducting human studies to assess the safety and efficacy of this treatment that could potentially benefit millions of people with dry eye disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-eye-dry-disease.html Thu, 21 May 2026 10:20:02 EDT news698576762 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 A group of pediatric eye disease researchers has launched an open-access tool designed to help manage pediatric cases of amblyopia, a condition in which the brain fails to properly develop normal vision in one or both eyes early in life. It is the leading cause of preventable single-eye (monocular) vision loss, affecting 3 of every 100 children in the nation. The tool is aimed at expanding access to evidence-based amblyopia clinical-decision-making expertise amidst a shortage of pediatric eye care specialists in the United States. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-access-children-amblyopia.html Mon, 18 May 2026 10:40:04 EDT news698317801 Scientists in South Korea have developed experimental contact lenses designed to send electrical signals through the retina and into brain regions linked to mood. In mice, the technology appeared to improve depression-like behavior. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-depressed-mice-successfully-smart-contact.html Thu, 14 May 2026 13:44:17 EDT news697984922 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 have identified distinct biological features linked to a high risk of developing a severe form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Their findings, published in Genome Medicine, could help inform future efforts to develop more targeted treatments for people at greatest risk of developing severe macular degeneration and losing their sight. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-clues-severe-age-macular-degeneration.html Tue, 12 May 2026 09:00:06 EDT news697794421 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 National Eye Institute (NEI) scientists have found that the way the retina metabolizes glucose directly controls which genes get switched on and off in light-sensing photoreceptors. The findings suggest that metabolic disruptions seen in aging and disease may directly destabilize the gene expression needed to keep photoreceptors healthy, opening new avenues for treating retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss. The work is published in PLOS Genetics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-sugar-fuels-sight-glucose-metabolism.html Mon, 04 May 2026 13:40:03 EDT news697117741 Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease that weakens and thins the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. In its early, subclinical stage, the cornea can still appear normal on routine exams. Yet this is when accurate diagnosis matters most, especially when patients are being evaluated for refractive surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-keratoconus-earlier-polarization-ai.html Mon, 04 May 2026 07:00:05 EDT news697088941 Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully demonstrated that disrupting an eye structure long suspected of blocking the growth and survival of transplanted nerve cells may help restore vision in people with optic nerve damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-advance-efforts-vision-transplanted-neurons.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:04 EDT news696676981 Nonperfusion area detected by swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) may predict diabetic nephropathy (DN) severity, according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-swept-source-optical-coherence-tomography.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:40:01 EDT news696597858 An inherited form of blindness directly comparable to a common inherited optic nerve disease in humans has been discovered in rhesus macaques at the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The work, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to a better understanding of autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), and potentially to new treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-macaques-reveal-human-genetic-inherited.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news696610020 Pickleball-related eye injuries are on the rise in the United States, according to a study published in the journal Eye and led by Houston Methodist. The findings underscore a public health concern tied to one of America's fastest-growing sports. In addition, the research also revealed that dodgeball and kickball continue to cause significant eye-related trauma, primarily among younger individuals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-america-fastest-sport-eye-injury.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news696071582 There may be some truth to the saying "the eyes are the window to the soul." Age-related changes are reflected in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Recent research shows that a photo of the retina may also reveal potential risks for major diseases like diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-photo-eye-retinal-age.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:40:09 EDT news695992861 The more precisely we want to examine the human retina, the more clearly one of the fundamental limits of physics becomes apparent. In cellular-resolution eye imaging, the same tradeoff has applied for years—tiny structures can be seen with impressive sharpness, but only within a very thin layer of tissue. To view the entire retina, researchers usually have to refocus and acquire several separate scans in a repetitive manner. Now an international team led by Dawid Borycki and Maciej Wojtkowski from ICTER, together with Zhuolin Liu and Daniel X. Hammer from the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), has shown that this limitation can be overcome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-exam-retina-complications.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:00:03 EDT news695917381 Scientists led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) have developed MitoCatch, a system that enables targeted delivery of healthy mitochondria to specific cell types affected by disease. This innovation is a major step toward precision mitochondrial therapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-mitocatch-healthy-mitochondria-diseased-cells.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:07 EDT news695394961 A study using tiny retinas grown in a lab has revealed how subtle changes in a key growth-controlling protein can lead to a condition causing serious eye defects from birth. The findings, published in the journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)—Molecular Basis of Disease, shed new light on ocular coloboma, a rare congenital eye condition affecting about 1 in 5,000 births and responsible for roughly 10% of childhood blindness. Coloboma arises when a structure in the developing eye, the optic fissure, fails to close properly and often co-occurs with other tissue-fusion problems such as cleft lip and/or palate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-lab-grown-retina-gene-clue.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:00:04 EDT news695290418 A new Yale School of Medicine (YSM) study has uncovered surprising new details about how our eyes process what we see. When we look at something, our visual system breaks down different aspects of the scene—such as color, contrast, and motion—and processes those components separately. It's called parallel visual processing and it's what allows our brains to work out what we're seeing so quickly. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-eye.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:20:12 EDT news694946205 If you've been thinking about ditching your glasses or contacts, you might be wondering: Is now a good time for LASIK surgery? Is there a "best age?" Should you wait until your prescription stops changing? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-lasik-age-eligibility-recovery.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news694947541