Eye Care News

The results of a new clinical trial suggest that the first drug therapy to slow the progression of nearsightedness in kids could be on the horizon. The three-year study found that a daily drop in each eye of a low dose of atropine, a drug used to dilate pupils, was better than a placebo at limiting eyeglass prescription changes and inhibiting elongation of the eye in nearsighted children aged 6 to 10.

Researchers using dashcam footage of real-world collisions involving large trucks to analyze driver and vehicle behavior has found that anti-drowsiness alarms or similar technologies to prevent falling asleep at the wheel need to go beyond a focus on monitoring the drivers’ eyes, and consider other microsleep behaviors including a relaxation of back and neck muscles and abnormal activity of the vehicle itself.

Researchers say they have evidence that an experimental drug may prevent or slow vision loss in people with diabetes. The results are from a study that used mouse as well as human retinal organoids and eye cell lines.

Researchers have announced a major advance in understanding the fundamental structure of melanin and one of its components that turns light into heat, protecting the body from sun damage.

Goldenhar syndrome is a rare congenital disease, affecting early fetal development. This syndrome includes malformations of varying severity, affecting different parts of the face. Its causes and modes of transmission are still poorly understood. An international collaboration has discovered that pathogenic variants of the FOXI3 gene — responsible for the development of the ear — cause one form of this developmental disorder. The scientists were also able to identify the modes of transmission of the disease when this particular gene is involved.