Eye diseases

In a massive study of 82,826 adults, bright artificial light in the evenings has been tied to age-related eye disease. At the extreme, light exposure was linked to a worrying increase in age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma.

Scientists have developed a powerful new dual-imaging tool that maps the retina’s structure and oxygen use in unprecedented detail. This breakthrough could one day help doctors spot sight-stealing diseases long before symptoms appear.

Scientists have developed a new eyedrop that can ferry protective compounds all the way to the retina, paving the way for a less-invasive – and injection-free – method of managing sight-stealing diseases such as age-related macular degeneration.

Forget carrots. Researchers have determined that one of the most common amino acids has the power to keep retinas thick and healthy. The finding has the potential to fight vision loss and blindness through this newly discovered metabolic pathway.

A breakthrough treatment has allowed damaged retinal cells to regenerate themselves. The current research has been conducted on mice, but the pathways are the same in humans, which opens hope for a new way to treat certain kinds of blindness.

An RNA-editing gene therapy has been developed that switches off the key driver of common eye conditions affecting diabetics and the elderly. It could be an effective alternative to regular injections of medication directly into the eye.