Latest on Retinal Implants and drug, gene, and stem-cell therapies.
Date	Description	Type
07.01.10	Research Breakthrough Offers Hope To Millions With Retinitis Pigmentosa EU-funded scientists have succeeded in awakening dormant vision cones, an achievement that may lead to saving millions of people from going blind.	Research
06.14.10	Genetic Modifier In Usher Syndrome Dr Hanno Bolz says that his team's research challenges the traditional view that USH was inherited as a single gene disorder, and shows that it may result from at least two different genetic mutations.	Research
05.27.10	Retina from Stem Cells UC Irvine researchers have created a retina from human embryonic stem cells, the first time they've been used to create a three-dimensional tissue structure.	Research
04.13.10	Lutein, Vitamin A Combo Fights Retinitis Pigmentosa BOSTON—Providing retinitis pigmentosa patients with lutein plus vitamin A palmitate slowed the loss of midperipheral vision, according to a study out of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School (Arch Ophthalmol. 2010;128(4):403-11)	Research
04.10.10	Gene Therapy for Mouse Vision Gene delivery to mitotic and postmitotic photoreceptors via compacted DNA nanoparticles results in improved phenotype in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa	Gene Therapy
04.06.10	Orphan Drug Designation for UshStat Oxford BioMedica, a U.K. partner of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, has received orphan drug designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for their emerging Usher syndrome gene therapy known as UshStat.	Gene Therapy
03.20.10	Infecting the Blind with Sight Berkeley professor of neurobiology, John Flannery, is developing ways to cure genetic diseases of the retina.	Gene Therapy
03.18.10	Subretinal Implant Restores Unprecedented Level of Vision to Blind Patients REUTLINGEN, Germany - (Business Wire) Retina Implant, AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for the visually impaired, today announced scientific revelations discovered during the company’s first human clinical trial. Read more: http://www.ear	Retinal Implants
03.13.10	Two high-tech approaches to restoring sight Two companies, one in Israel and one in the U.S., are taking different high-tech approaches to restoring sight to millions of people who've gone blind from disease.	Research
02.25.10	Stem cells restore sight in mouse model An international research team led by Columbia Univ. Medical Center successfully used mouse embryonic stem cells to replace diseased retinal cells and restore sight in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa.	Stem-cell Therapy
02.16.10	New Retinal Implant Contains "Fertilizing" Enzymes Researchers have developed an implant that clears out the scar tissue of diseased retinas and seeds new ones. This quickly evolving procedure holds hope for millions of persons with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).	Research
02.03.10	Cell-Based Treatment Preserves Vision in Usher Syndrome Model A research team funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness has used cell transplantation to restore vision in a mouse model of Usher syndrome type 2A.	Research
01.28.10	Researchers Develop New Tool for Gene Delivery ScienceDaily (Jan. 28, 2010) — Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have developed a new tool for gene therapy that significantly increases gene delivery to cells in the retina	Research
01.26.10	To Restore Vision, Implant Preps and Seeds a Damaged Eye ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2010) — Researchers trying to restore vision damaged by disease have found promise in a tiny implant that sows seeds of new cells in the eye.	Research
01.06.10	Solar Powered Retinal Implant First flexible solar powered retinal implant developed at Stanford.	Research
01.04.10	Stem Cell Therapy Restores UK Man's Vision The man had Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency, which is not genetic, but the technology may be applicable to Usher patients in the future.	Stem-cell Therapy
01.01.10	Results of Gene Therapy for LCA Boy, age 9, with LCA on CBS Morning News discussing results of gene therapy for LCA.	Research
12.07.09	Transforming Skin Cells to Retinal Cells Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed an innovative process to transform skin cells into retinal cells — cells that hold great promise for restoring vision.	Stem-cell Therapy
11.18.09	Gene Therapy Success It's not Usher related, but the successful treatment of two children with ALD could impact gene therapy as an RP treatement.	Drug-based Therapy
11.18.09	NPR Story on Gene Therapy National Public Radio's Science Friday interviews Dr. Katherine High, professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, about gene therapy as treatment for blindness	Drug-based Therapy
10.25.09	Gene therapy transforms eyesight of 12 born with rare defect Pennsylvania researchers using gene therapy have made significant improvements in vision in 12 patients with a rare inherited visual defect, a finding that suggests it may be possible to produce similar improvements in a much larger number of patients wit	Research
10.14.09	New Drug Delivery System for Retinal Disease Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have reported the development of a new drug delivery system which has the potential to treat degenerative diseases of the retina, including retinitis pigmentosa.	Research
09.28.09	VisionWalk - Boston VisionWalk is the national signature fundraising event of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. VisionWalk Boston will be held October 24th, 2009, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m at Artesani Park on Soldier's Field Road in Brighton.	Fundraisers
09.28.09	Upcoming Technology Aimed at Helping Blind See New York Times article outlining a number of experimental treatments being tested to help restore vision.	Research
09.28.09	A Chip For The Eye: Artificial Vision Enhancers Being Put To The Test Report on efforts of a team in Germany to develop an electronic retinal prosthesis	Research