FEB 02, 2018
By Anni Griswold
Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Glaucoma
A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.
Korean researchers have developed a contact lens that monitors glucose levels. The lens isn’t entirely novel—Google and other tech companies have dabbled in similar work—but its new design sidesteps the discomfort and unreliability that plagued earlier prototypes. The updated lens uses soft, flexible materials and a tiny green LED that turns off to warn users of high blood sugar. Science
Gene therapy stock prices took a brief nosedive this week after a report that the viral vector AAV9 produced liver and neuron damage in young monkeys and pigs. Scientists are quick to warn that humans may not react the same way as animal models, but they caution clinical trial investigators to watch for similar effects in patients given high doses of AAV9 gene therapy. Science
When the eyes move, the eardrum moves too, according to a new study by Duke researchers. The team asked volunteers to sit in a dark room and keep their heads still while following LED lights with their eyes. Each eye movement triggered vibrations in the eardrums, suggesting the brain uses one pathway to coordinate sensory input from both areas. EurekAlert!
Ophthalmologists from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute hopped in their Vision Van and headed to the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma to distribute medical services, drugs and thousands of eyeglasses. A profile published this week describes their generous outreach work after Irma and other natural disasters, including the recent earthquakes in Japan and Haiti. Healio
An animal study hints at a genetic link between thin corneas and an increased risk of glaucoma. Researchers say genetic typos in the protein POU6F2 may reduce corneal thickness and increase a person’s risk of primary open angle glaucoma. EurekAlert!