Approval to distribute the Alpha IMS wireless implant for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) has been granted in Europe to Retina Implant AG, based in Reutlingen, Germany. Thirty-six patients have received the subretinal implant, designed to restore useful vision to people legally blinded by RP.
Retinitis pigmentosa is a generative eye disease that begins in young people and may be inherited. RP patients may be able to Continue reading “Alpha IMS Wireless Implant for Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Approved”
Researchers have found a layer of tissue in the eye that can self-renew and may provide cures in the future for retinal diseases such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Stargardt’s disease, Best’s disease, and some types of retinitis pigmentosa. These eye diseases begin in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which is a layer of eye tissue that supports the cells that make vision possible (photoreceptors). When the RPE degenerates, vision is compromised and can result in blindness.
Around ten percent of the cells in the RPE can renew themselves. In essence, they are dormant RPE stem cells. Cures for retinal diseases could lie in coaxing the dormant stem cells into becoming mature RPE cells. This could undo the damage from retinal diseases Continue reading “Eye’s Stem Cells May Provide Key to ARMD, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardt’s Disease”
The first implanted device for adults with retinitis pigmentosa has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Called the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, the device includes a tiny video camera, a transmitter (on a pair of glasses), and a video processing unit. The patient’s retina is replaced with a prosthesis. The camera wirelessly transmits visual information to the retinal prosthesis to improve vision.
Continue reading “Retinitis Pigmentosa Argus II Retinal Prothesis FDA Approved”
A chemical that occurs naturally in the common herb rosemary has been found to protect the eye from macular degeneration and other eye diseases. This study, published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, is one of many recent investigations into the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the active ingredients in medicinal herbs. The compound in Rosemary is called “carnosic acid.”
Rosemary is a savory herb that adds flavor to a variety of recipes, including chicken, barbeques, salad dressing and tomato dishes. A member of the mint family, it is native to the Mediterranean region. Rosemarinus officinalis has evergreen, needle-like, fragrant leaves and tiny colorful flowers. It is a common decorative plant in gardens.
Continue reading “Carnosic Acid from Rosemary Herb Protects the Eye”
Injecting “precursor” photoreceptor cells into the eyes of totally blind mice resulted in the reconstruction the entire light-sensitive layer inside the eye, restoring the experimental animals’ vision. While the quality of vision was not easy to evaluate, the mice ran away from bright light, had pupils that responded to light, and had brain activity showing they were processing visual information.
Researchers at the University of Oxford studied mice that had retinas without any light-sensing photoreceptor cells. Unable to distinguish between dark and light, these mice were completely blind. The precursor cells they used were designed to develop into retinal building blocks after getting injected into the eye. Just two weeks after receiving the injection of cells, each eye developed a retina.
Continue reading “Photoreceptor Cell Injections Restore Sight in Mice with Retinitis Pigmentosa”
An FDA-guided and -supervised study revealed that microcurrent stimulation, also called electrotherapy, resulted in significant vision improvements in 61% of patients suffering from dry macular degeneration. The research showed promise that microcurrent stimulation could also help patients with diabetic retinopathy or retinitis pigmentosa.
Microcurrent stimulation is a therapy designed to alleviate pain, promote the healing of wounds and improve results with transplanted tissues. The FDA has approved its use for these purposes under specific protocols. This therapy is commonly used by rehab specialists, anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and plastic surgeons.
Continue reading “How Microcurrent Stimulation Could Help Eye Diseases”
Breakthrough research into vision restoration may result in a new type of prosthetic for people suffering from vision loss due to retinal degenerative diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.
Researchers cracked the retinal code that the retina uses to communicate with the brain. Their initial research was on mice. They determined which electrical signals the retina uses when communicating with the brain. Then, they mimicked the signals using electric-signal sending glasses in blind mice. The animals’ vision was restored to near normal.
Continue reading “Breakthrough Prosthetic Sends Retina Signals to Brain to Restore Sight”
Experimental research at Stanford University school of medicine may result in the restoration of vision for people whose sight has been lost due to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Retinitis Pigmentosa and other diseases of the retina. Surgeons plan to implant small solar panel-like cells under the retina. When the patient wears a special type of goggles, a camera and small computer will allow them to see the world around them again.
The goggles will have a tiny camera and a small computer. The computer will process data from the camera and display images on an LCD (liquid crystal micro-display) on the goggles. The images on the LCD are beamed using laser pulses of IR-A (near-infrared) light to tiny photovoltaic silicon chips implanted under the retina. The electrical currents from the chips’ photodiodes would trigger signals in the retina. From the retina, the message would flow to the brain, giving the patient the ability to see.
Continue reading “High-tech Goggles Plus Surgical Implant May Help Restore Sight to Blind”
Two men blinded by retinitis pigmentosa have had their sight partially restored by receiving electronic retinal implants at King’s College Hospital in England.
The surgery involves implanting a 3×3 mm2 microchip with 1,500 electrodes below the retina. A thin cable is run to a special sub-dermal control unit that is implanted behind the ear. When light reaches the eye, pixels in the chip are stimulated, sending electronic signals to the optic nerve and then to the brain. An external power unit can be connected to the chip using a magnetic disk implanted on the scalp. This allows the chip’s sensitivity to be altered.
Clinical trials began more than 6 years ago. The technology is improving over time, with the more recent patients reporting better visual acuity.
Continue reading “Experimental Electronic Retinas Implanted in Two Patients”
Valporic acid is now being tested on human patients suffering from autosomal dominant forms of retinitis pigmentosa (adRP). This drug has already been approved for people with seizures, but the National Eye Evaluation and Research (NEER) network is now looking at how the drug can help those with this inherited form of RP.
Participants in the trial are taking the medication orally through the duration of the trial. Some will be treated with a placebo. Visual field tests will help researchers determine the effectiveness of this treatment.
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com, July 7, 2011
Certain nutrients such as vitamin A, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids, other antioxidants, and COQ10 may help slow down retinitis pigmentosa and help to preserve vision.