Latest on Retinal Implants and drug, gene, and stem-cell therapies.

Research News
Date	Description	Type
05.03.13	Physical and Psychological Health in Persons with Deafblindness Due to Usher Syndrome Type II By Moa Wahlqvist, Claes Moller, Kerstin Moller, and Berth Danermark. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2013	Research
03.21.13	Passable Landscapes, Bente Ramsing, The National Board of Social Services, Denmark, 2013 Danish research by Ph.D. Jesper Dammeyer, in cooperation with educational consultant Bente Ramsing, shows that more than half of all children with Usher Syndrome develop symptoms of psychosocial dissatisfaction before the age of 18.	Research
02.05.13	Rescue of Hearing and Vestibular in Mouse Model New research shows that hearing and vestibular function can be rescued in a mouse model of Usher 1c using an antisense oligonucleotide.	Drug-based Therapy
02.04.13	Concerns about Gene Therapy? A new study questions whether gene therapy actualy saves the rods and cones.	Gene Therapy
01.30.13	Study on Mental and Behavioral Issues in Children with Usher A study of 26 Usher children in Denmark and the frequency of mental and behavioral issues.	Research
01.25.13	Altering eye cells may help preserve vision in RP A Washington University study is altering the genes in cone cells.	Gene Therapy
12.06.12	Progress on Usher Syndrome Research Uwe Wolfrum and his colleagues as Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz are increasing our understanding of Usher syndrome.	Drug-based Therapy
11.20.12	Update from Oxford BioMedica on Usher Trials Positive results so far from the Usher 1b trials.	Gene Therapy
10.10.12	Novel Gene Associated with Usher Syndrome A team of researchers from multiple institutions reported a novel type of gene (CIB2) associated with Usher syndrome in the November 2012 issue of Nature Genetics.	Research
09.11.12	An Artificial Retina with the Capacity to Restore Normal Vision Cornell researchers developing artificial retina	Retinal Implants
07.23.12	BioDiem delivers more positive results for eye disease drug BDM-E has received Orphan Drug designation from the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of the inherited degenerative eye disorder, retinitis pigmentosa.	Drug-based Therapy
06.20.12	Stem Cell Treatment for RP Planned for Late 2013 ReNeuron, a stem cell development company in the United Kingdom, is planning to file for regulatory approval in late 2013 to launch a clinical trial of a stem cell treatment for people with retinitis pigmentosa.	Stem-cell Therapy
06.15.12	New Usher Gene Discovered June 15, 2012 – Researchers conducting a genetic study of Old Order Amish and Mennonite populations have identified five new genes in which defects cause congenital diseases, including a previously unidentified type of Usher syndrome, type 3B. Caused by m	Research
01.11.12	Variant of Usher Syndrome Gene Preserves Vision and Balance the NIDCD has found some mutations of the same genes that cause Usher syndrome can cause hearing loss alone, without any accompanying blindness or balance problems.	General
10.20.11	FDA Approves UshStat Clinical Trial Oxford Biometica application for phase I/IIa clinical trials approved for gene therapy treatment of Usher type 1b.	Gene Therapy
09.01.11	Pill drug could fight blindness An active component of the contraceptive "mini-Pill" can reverse a genetic eye condition that normally leads to blindness, research has shown.	Drug-based Therapy
07.05.11	PTC124 Treatment for Usher 1c New treatment for nonsense mutations may soon be ready for use in Usher syndrome patients	Drug-based Therapy
04.18.11	CNTF Implant Shows Promise Neurotech's implant demonstrates photoreceptor preservation in patients with Usher.	Drug-based Therapy
04.11.11	Real Retinas Grown in Eye Lab Researchers in Japan have discovered a way to coax mouse embryonic stem cells into forming an eyelike structure.	Stem-cell Therapy
02.15.11	Artificial Retina Helps Some Blind People More than a year ago, the 68-year-old had an artificial implant called the Argus II, made by U.S.-based company Second Sight, surgically inserted into his right eye. Dutch regulators are expected to decide within weeks on the company's request to market t	Retinal Implants
02.02.11	A Sharper Future for Retinal Implants Researchers grow neurons on a photosensitive polymer hybrid. Retinal implants can already restore sight to people who have lost it owing to degenerative eye diseases like macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. Now new research suggests a way to	Retinal Implants
12.20.10	Stem Cell Therapy in Germany A new stem cell therapy is now available to eye patients using subretinal placement of adult stem cells. Initial patients included an individual with Stargardts Disease and a patient with Age Related Macular Degeneration.	Stem-cell Therapy
12.08.10	QLT Gets FDA Orphan Drug Designation For QLT091001 To Treat Retinitis Pigmentosa QLT Inc. (QLTI: News ) said that QLT091001, the company's oral synthetic retinoid, has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.	Drug-based Therapy
11.23.10	FDA Approves Second Trial of Stem-Cell Therapy For only the second time, the Food and Drug Administration approved a company's request to test an embryonic stem cell-based therapy on human patients. Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), based in Marlborough, Mass., will begin testing its retinal cell treatm	Stem-cell Therapy
11.22.10	Next Gen Digital Sight Could Cure Blindness An artificial retina that transforms a camera feed into electric pulses that stimulate the optic nerve, providing rudimentary vision for millions of people with degenerative retinal diseases.	Retinal Implants