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Viva International Group Presents 10 New Releases From The SKECHERS Eyewear Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

May 10th, 2012

Viva International Group presents 10 new releases from the SKECHERS Eyewear Spring/Summer 2012 collection consisting of four men’s, four women’s and two boy’s ophthalmic styles. The new styles capture the sporty and vibrant look of the SKECHERS brand, while incorporating many design elements from SKECHERS’ new footwear styles.

Models SK 2041 and SK 2042

Fashion-forward trends consisting of flower pattern accents, metal inlay detailing and unique multi-toned colorations are infused into the new women’s ophthalmic collection. Innovative temple treatments include a swooping colored metal inlay featured on models SK 2041 and SK 2042. Handcrafted in acetate, each temple features a dual layered design available in a variety of trendy color combinations, including black on white crystal, plum horn on purple and brown horn on light blue. Model SK 2041 features an acetate front, while model SK 2042 is designed with a full-rimmed metal front, both offered in modified rectangle shapes.

Models SK 2046 and SK 2068

Inspired by the on-trend design treatments in the SKECHERS footwear collection, models SK 2046 and SK 2068 feature high definition flower prints, which decorate the frame’s handmade acetate temples, along with the SKECHERS logo. Model 2046, fully handcrafted in acetate, is available in rich color combinations, including black on pearl purple horn, brown on light teal and burgundy on burgundy crystal. Model SK 2068 features a semi-rimless metal front in satin black, satin brown and satin purple.

Model SK 3048

The men’s optical collection features a sleek metal inlay with a carbon fiber effect and the SKECHERS logo engraved on the temples of styles SK 3048 and SK 3049. Style SK 3048 is fully handcrafted in acetate and available in a rich blend of colors, including dark brown/white/brown crystal, grey/white/grey crystal and grey/blue horn. Style 3049 incorporates the same innovative temple treatment and features a satin-finished metal front in black, green and gunmetal. Both styles feature a modified rectangular front shape, delivering a contemporary and modern look.

Model SK 3043

The temples of models SK 3042 and SK 3043 are infused with a detailing inspired by SKECHERS’ popular sneaker collections. This sporty style is offered in satin black, satin brown and satin gunmetal. Plastic temple tips are available in two-toned colorations of black, brown and gunmetal on model SK 3042, a full-rimmed metal frame and SK 3043, a semi-rimless metal frame.

The selection of boy’s ophthalmic releases for spring 2012 is filled with sporty elements and fun details. Models SK 1030 and SK 1031 feature a recessed horizontal detail, which fuses sporty style with on-trend fashion. The SKECHERS “SKX” logo design, inspired by the brand’s signature graphics, is etched on each temple in bold colors, including green, blue, red and orange.

New merchandising materials include a 15-piece countertop display and pedestal, three-piece highlighter, graphic holder, logo block and counter cards featuring the new spring campaign imagery. For more information, please call 800-345-VIVA or visit www.vivagroup.com.

 

About Viva International Group
Viva International Group is a global leader in high-quality, fashion eyewear. Its portfolio ranges from accessible luxury brands GANT by Michael Bastian, GUESS by Marciano, Mark Nason and William Rast, to fashion and lifestyle brands BONGO®, CANDIE’S®, Catherine Deneuve, GANT, GANT Rugger, GUESS, Harley-Davidson, RAMPAGE®, SKECHERS, and William Rast Racing, and value names Viva, Magic Clip®, and Savvy.

Viva has six direct sales offices in the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. Joint ventures and direct sales forces are also maintained in Australia, Austria, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Viva, a Highmark company, is a business unit of HVHC Inc., an integrated vision care company, which also includes Davis Vision Inc. and Visionworks, formerly Eye Care Centers of America. HVHC Inc. has assembled many businesses and brands under one umbrella, which allows it to offer a wide variety of competitive products and services. Together, the companies provide a total eyecare and eyewear experience. For more information, please visit www.vivagroup.com.

About Skechers USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear for men, women and children under the SKECHERS name, as well as under several uniquely branded names. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, and over 100 countries and territories through the Company’s global network of distributors and subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Japan and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia. For more information, please visit www.skechers.com, and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).


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Recycled Glasses Not The Solution For Developing Communities

May 3rd, 2012

Thembani waits for an eye examination at the Umlazi community hall near Durban, South Africa (Photo by Dean Saffron; courtesy of International Centre for Eyecare Education)

You might feel good sending your old reading glasses to a developing country. But a recent international study, led by the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE), a collaborating partner in the Vision CRC, in Sydney, suggests it is far better to give $10 for an eye examination and a new pair of glasses if you want to help someone in desperate need, and it is far better for building capacity in these communities.

The study, recently published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science, found that only 7% of a test sample of 275 recycled glasses were useable and that this pushed the delivery cost to over $20 per pair. There are a wide range of ready-made glasses available, which can be supplied for around half the cost. Over 600 million people are unnecessarily blind or vision impaired globally simply because they need an eye examination and appropriate glasses.

Dr David Wilson, Research Manager Asia-Pacific, International Centre for Eyecare Education (Photo courtesy of International Centre for Eyecare Education)

Dr David Wilson, Research Manager Asia-Pacific for ICEE and head author on the paper, says that although the intention is good, recycled glasses are not a cost-saving method of correcting refractive error and should be discouraged as a strategy for eliminating uncorrected refractive error in developing countries. “While this is not the first argument against the use of recycled glasses there has been no accurate costing of their delivery,” he said.

Only 7% of the 275 recycled glasses analysed in the study were suitable for use he said. “The relatively small proportion of useable glasses contributed to the high societal cost of delivering recycled glasses, which was found to be $20.49, close to twice that of supplying ready-made glasses,” Dr Wilson added.

Co-author of the paper Professor Brien Holden, CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute, says that recycled glasses have a feel-good attractiveness to those that hand in their old glasses. “Although well intentioned, recycled glasses will neither suit many of those affected by the most common forms of vision impairment, nor provide a cost-saving solution to the problem,” he said.

“They are expensive to sort, clean and deliver and, in addition, the power of the lenses in a pair of glasses can differ greatly, meaning that a pair of recycled glasses is rarely the same as another person’s prescription,” Professor Holden said. “This research is extremely valuable in understanding the most efficient method to utilise the limited funding and resources currently available to address this massive need.”

Dr Wilson said a preferable method is to provide an eye exam and use ready-made or, even better, inexpensive custom-made glasses. Making the glasses locally helps build sustainable supply and fitting services in communities in need. “The peak international body in blindness prevention efforts, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), recommends that groups involved in eye care should not accept donations of recycled glasses nor use them in their programmes,” he said.

“Quality glasses are now being delivered in developing communities through the training of skilled personnel to conduct eye examinations and dispense ready-made glasses or by trained people such as spectacle technicians to custom make glasses,” he said. “Not only does this provide quality eye care, it enhances local capacity and helps build sustainable eye care systems,” he said.

 

“If people would like to contribute to this global effort I would urge them to support organisations that are involved in the Vision 2020 initiative of the World Health Organization and IAPB, including ICEE, that are working to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision impairment worldwide.”

The paper ‘Real Cost of Recycled Spectacles’ appeared in the March 2012 edition of Optometry and Vision Science.

The authors are David Wilson, Sonja Cronje´, Kevin Frick and Brien Holden.

Author affiliations are:
International Centre for Eyecare Education (DW, SC, BH), Vision Cooperative Research Centre (DW, SC,BH), School of Optometry and Vision Science (SC, BH), University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, U.S. (KF), and Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, Australia (KF, BH).

Abstract:
David A. Wilson, Sonja Cronje´, Kevin Frick, and Brien A. Holden, Real Cost of Recycled Spectacles, Optom Vis Sci 2012;89:304–309

Purpose:
Many programs aimed at mitigating the problem of uncorrected refractive error and the resulting avoidable blindness use recycled (donated) spectacles as a seemingly inexpensive expedient. This article analyses the costs and benefits of recycled spectacles and compares them with alternative methodologies. Although well intentioned, it is argued that recycled spectacles will neither suit many of those affected by uncorrected refractive error nor provide a cost saving solution to the problem. Although this is not the first argument against the use of recycled spectacles, there has been no accurate costing of their delivery. This article assesses the real cost of delivery of recycled spectacles.

Methods:
The useable quantity of recycled spectacles was determined by examining two separate batches of donated spectacles. These data were used in the calculation of the cost of delivery. The metric used for comparison was only cost (i.e., it was a cost minimization analysis) because it was deemed that recycled spectacles and readymade spectacles were the same mode of correction fundamentally.

Results:
Only 7% of the 275 recycled spectacles analyzed were suitable for use. The relatively small proportion of useable spectacles contributed to the high societal cost of delivering recycled spectacles, which was found to be U.S. $20.49, more than twice the cost of supplying ready-made spectacles.

Conclusions:
Recycled spectacles are not a cost-saving method of correcting refractive error and should be discouraged as a strategy for eliminating uncorrected refractive error in developing countries.

For the full version of the paper click through to Optometry and Vision Science.

To find out more about Vision 2020: The Right to Sight go to: www.v2020.org


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Home Measurement of Eye Pressure in Children May Improve Management of Glaucoma

April 27th, 2012

Measurement of pressure within the eye, or intraocular pressure (IOP), is known to fluctuate throughout the day, and wide swings in patients with glaucoma are believed to be related to the progression of the disease, which can cause permanent damage to the optic nerve and vision. The clinical assessment of IOP, however, has been restricted to office visits during daytime hours. In a new study, parents using the Icare Rebound Tonometer evaluated IOP patterns in normal children at home, establishing comparative values that may be useful for the study and treatment of children with glaucoma. The research is published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

“Diabetes is monitored by patients using home glucose monitors, but there has been no equivalent home technique for patients to use to measure their own eye pressures – until recently,” says lead investigator Sharon F. Freedman, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, Chief, Pediatric Division, Duke Eye Center. “We found that home measurement of IOP is not only quite possible, but provides some baseline information about the expected variability of eye pressures in the normal eyes of healthy children,” “We hope this will open the door to the use of home tonometry for selected children and adults with known glaucoma, and will be helpful in managing the disease.”

The parents of 11 children were instructed on the proper use of the Icare rebound tonometer, a device that doesn’t require anesthetic drops or specialized training, and were observed taking readings until they could reliably obtain IOPs in their children. At home, the parents measured IOP 6 times daily for two consecutive days, from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Sharon Freedman, MD

The Icare tonometry was well tolerated by all subjects and caused no complaints, discomfort, or adverse effects. “We found that normal eyes of healthy children have a fluctuation in eye pressure of about five mm Hg throughout the day. The eye pressure tends to be higher in the morning and lower in the evening, and ‘what the right eye does, so does the left eye,’ in that the two normal eyes of a healthy child go up and down in unison,” explains Dr. Freedman.

Journal of AAPOS Editor-in-Chief David G. Hunter, MD, PhD, of the Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, notes, “Measurement of eye pressure has long been a challenge in children and has only been possible in the office. This study shows that it may be possible for people of all ages to measure eye pressure at home, which could provide important information about pressure changes on a daily basis that will advance the quality of care for glaucoma patients.”

www.dukehealth.org

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Stem Cells Can Repair A Damaged Cornea

April 24th, 2012

A new cornea may be the only way to prevent a patient going blind – but there is a shortage of donated corneas and the queue for transplantation is long. Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy have for the first time successfully cultivated stem cells on human corneas, which may in the long term remove the need for donators.

Approximately 500 corneal transplantations are carried out each year in Sweden, and about 100,000 in the world. The damaged and cloudy cornea that is turning the patient blind is replaced with a healthy, transparent one. But the procedure requires a donated cornea, and there is a severe shortage of donated material. This is particularly the case throughout the world, where religious or political views often hinder the use of donated material.

Replacing donated corneas
Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have taken the first step towards replacing donated corneas with corneas cultivated from stem cells.

Scientists Charles Hanson and Ulf Stenevi have used defective corneas obtained from the ophthalmology clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Mölndal. Their study is now published in the journal Acta Ophthalmologica, and shows how human stem cells can be caused to develop into what are known as “epithelial cells” after 16 days’ culture in the laboratory and a further 6 days’ culture on a cornea. It is the epithelial cells that maintain the transparency of the cornea.

Scientist Charles Hanson

First time ever on human corneas
“Similar experiments have been carried out on animals, but this is the first time that stem cells have been grown on damaged human corneas. It means that we have taken the first step towards being able to use stem cells to treat damaged corneas”, says Charles Hanson.

“If we can establish a routine method for this, the availability of material for patients who need a new cornea will be essentially unlimited. Both the surgical procedures and the aftercare will also become much more simple”, says Ulf Stenevi.

Few clinics conduct tranplants
Only a few clinics are currently able to transplant corneas. Many of the transplantations in Sweden are carried out at the ophthalmology clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Mölndal.

The article “Transplantation of human embryonic stem cells onto a partially wounded human cornea in vitro” was published in Acta Ophthalmologica on 27 January.

www.sahlgrenska.gu.se

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PERFECTA Freeform—A Perfect Balance Between Different Visual Regions, High Resolution, Crisp Vision, and Wide Visual Fields

April 13th, 2012

Introducing the new PERFECTA digital backside freeform progressive available exclusively from Midwest Lens. This progressive features a back-side aspheric design with a spherical front surface to provide excellent overall optical correction. With digitally precise processing, patients will experience clear, wide vision in all visual fields with exceptionally high adaptation.

By processing the add power and correction on the back side of the lens, patients will enjoy an improved design over traditional progressives. Each lens is customized to the exact specifications of the Rx, matched closely to the frame measurements. This process provides the best in vision correction.

Developing this design involved a new challenge, improving far vision while maintaining near and intermediate vision quality. As a result, users will find a wide 180 degree visual distance field that is exceptionally clear and wide. In addition, the intermediate area is balanced in order to provide the patient a smooth transition between zones.

PERFECTA Freeform Progressive Benefits:

  • Extra wide far visual zone
  • Great balance between far and near
  • Available in four progression lengths
  • Compensated Rx
  • High precision and high personalization due to digital technology
  • Clear vision in every gaze direction
  • Wrap capability
  • Oblique astigmatism minimized
  • Decentered for larger frames
  • Rx can be entered in .01 increments
  • Comparable to all the leading freeform lenses currently on the market. Only difference is the PERFECTA is available from Midwest Lens at a very attractive price.

Why your patients need it…

  • Personalized to fit the patient’s lifestyle
  • Allows them to choose any frame style
  • Highest level of optical design resolution

Basically the PERFECTA freeform lens is just what the doctor ordered – a truly accurate prescription that is custom made to your patient’s exact visual needs and all at a great price!

www.midwestlens.com

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Gene Therapy Research Team From University of Pennsylvania Cures Retinitis Pigmentosa in Dogs

March 9th, 2012

Members of a University of Pennsylvania research team have shown that they can prevent, or even reverse, a blinding retinal disease, X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa, or XLRP, in dogs.

The disease in humans and dogs is caused by defects in the RPGR gene and results in early, severe and progressive vision loss. It is one of the most common inherited forms of retinal degeneration in man.

William Beltran

“Every single abnormal feature that defines the disease in the dogs was corrected following treatment,” said lead author William Beltran, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine.”

“We were thrilled,” said senior author Gustavo Aguirre, professor of medical genetics and ophthalmology at Penn Vet. “The treated cells were completely normal, and this effect resulted from introducing the normal version of the human gene into the diseased photoreceptor cells.”

The similarities between humans and dogs, in terms of both eye anatomy, physiology, disease characteristics and positive response to this gene therapy, raise hope for a clear path to human therapies.

Gustavo Aguirre

Beltran and Aguirre collaborated with Artur Cideciyan and Samuel Jacobson at the Scheie Eye Institute, part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. This achievement results from more than 10 years of close collaboration between the scientists at Penn’s veterinary and medical Schools and the University of Florida.

In addition to others at Penn Vet, Scheie and Florida, researchers at the universities of Michigan and Massachusetts and the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health contributed to the research.

The study will be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The gene therapy approach used takes advantage of a viral vector — a genetically modified virus that doesn’t cause disease and is unable to divide — to deliver the therapeutic RPGR gene specifically to diseased rods and cones. In the absence of treatment, these cells malfunction and progressively die.

The research team has previously successfully applied a similar approach to two other heritable vision disorders that occur in both humans and dogs: Leber congenital amaurosis and achromatopsia. The present study was more challenging, as it was necessary to target both main classes of photoreceptor cells.

While the exact disease mechanism of the RPGR form of XLRP is still unknown, the researchers were able to successfully treat dogs with two different RPGR mutations. The mutations disrupt photoreceptors in different ways, but both ultimately cause them to become useless for vision. While this form of blindness is rare in dogs, it is common in humans. Patients with XLRP usually begin to lose night vision as children and become almost totally blind by middle age.

Multifocal patches of rhodopsin mislocalization (in green) in the retina of a female dog that is a carrier of a mutation in the RPGR gene.

This is the first proof that this condition is treatable in an animal model; a single subretinal injection administered to the diseased dogs led to functional and structural recovery. The dogs’ recovery was assessed using a variety of methods that are used clinically in patients, such as electroretinography and optical coherence tomography.

The researchers feel the results are promising and relevant for translation to the clinic.

“We are intervening to treat both classes of photoreceptor cells, rods and cones, and that has never been done before in a large animal model,” Beltran said. “And not only can we prevent the disease onset but also restore the remaining photoreceptor cells to normal once the disease is ongoing.”

While the ability to repair both rods and cones was itself a first, the research team went further, showing that its treatment also repaired the photoreceptor connections to other retinal neurons that eventually send visual signals to the brain, another first.

“This not only provides hope for reversing XLRP but potentially for any form of photoreceptor degeneration,” Aguirre said. “Altered inner retinal wiring is a common feature for these diseases that has been considered irreversible.”

“The study required a combination of genetic tools and surgical technique to make sure the therapy targeted only the diseased cells. The viral vector had to be injected in the sub-retinal space so as to be in close proximity to the photoreceptors. Likewise, you need to ultimately deliver the therapy to the right location of the retina,” Aguirre said.

“In the human disease, careful characterization of the areas of the retina that need to be treated is going to be critical for therapy to succeed in the clinic,” Cideciyan said.

The genetic aspect of the viral vector used in this study involved a double safeguard. The first safety feature was to use a viral vector that is known to predominantly target both rods and cones but not other cells. The second safeguard involved attaching the healthy RPGR gene to a “promoter,” a piece of genetic code that would “switch on” the gene only if the virus penetrated the correct cell.

Selecting the right promoter was critical; the lead researchers at the University of Florida, William W. Hauswirth and Alfred S. Lewin, had to find one that that would be turned on exclusively in rods and cones. This way, even if the virus made its way to a non-photoreceptor cell, that cell would not start activating the RPGR gene.

That both the promoter and the RPGR gene it activates are taken from humans is a strong sign that the treatment may be translatable to patients.

“While there is still much work to do to assess long-term efficiency and safety with this approach, there is hope that this vector and knowledge could be used in a few years to treat the many patients losing vision from XLRP,” Jacobson said.

In addition to Beltran, Aguirre, Cideciyan, Jacobson and Hauswirth, the research was conducted by Sem Genini and Simone Iwabe of Penn Vet; Alejandro J. Román, Malgorzata Swider, Alexander Sumaroka and Tomas S. Alemán of Scheie; Alfred S. Lewin, Diego S. Fajardo, Vince A. Chiodo, Wen-Tao Deng and Sanford L. Boye of Florida; Hemant Khanna of Michigan and Massachusetts; and Anand Swaroop of Michigan and the National Eye Institute.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a Fight for Sight Nowak family grant, the Midwest Eye Banks and Transplantation Center, the Macula Vision Research Foundation, the Van Sloun Fund for Canine Genetic Research, Hope for Vision, and Research to Prevent Blindness.

www.upenn.edu

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University of Florida Researchers Develop Gene Therapy That Could Correct Blindness

March 6th, 2012

A new gene therapy method developed by University of Florida researchers has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults. The technique works by replacing a malfunctioning gene in the eye with a normal working copy that supplies a protein necessary for light-sensitive cells in the eye to function. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online.

Several complex and costly steps remain before the gene therapy technique can be used in humans, but once at that stage, it has great potential to change lives.

“Imagine that you can’t see or can just barely see, and that could be changed to function at some levels so that you could read, navigate, maybe even drive — it would change your life considerably,” said study co-author William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D., the Rybaczki-Bullard professor of ophthalmology in the UF College of Medicine and a professor and eminent scholar in department of molecular genetics and microbiology and the UF Genetics Institute. “Providing the gene that’s missing is one of the ultimate ways of treating disease and restoring significant visual function.”

William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D. and Alfred S. Lewin, Ph.D.

The researchers tackled a condition called X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic defect that is passed from mothers to sons. Girls carry the trait, but do not have the kind of vision loss seen among boys. About 100,000 people in the U.S. have a form of retinitis pigmentosa, which is characterized by initial loss of peripheral vision and night vision, which eventually progresses to tunnel vision, then blindness. In some cases, loss of sight coincides with the appearance of dark-colored areas on the usually orange-colored retina.

The UF researchers previously had success pioneering the use of gene therapy in clinical trials to reverse a form of blindness known as Leber’s congenital amaurosis. About 5 percent of people who have retinitis pigmentosa have this form, which affects the eye’s inner lining.

“That was a great advance, which showed that gene therapy is safe and lasts for years in humans, but this new study has the potential for a bigger impact, because it is treating a form of the disease that affects many more people,” said John G. Flannery, Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at the University of California, Berkeley who is an expert in the design of viruses for delivering replacement genes. Flannery was not involved in the current study.

The X-linked form of retinitis pigmentosa addressed in the new study is the most common, and is caused by degeneration of light-sensitive cells in the eyes known as photoreceptor cells. It starts early in life, so though affected children are often born seeing, they gradually lose their vision.

“These children often go blind in the second decade of life, which is a very crucial period,” said co-author Alfred S. Lewin, Ph.D., a professor in the UF College of Medicine department of molecular genetics and microbiology and a member of the UF Genetics Institute. “This is a compelling reason to try to develop a therapy, because this disease hinders people’s ability to fully experience their world.”

Both Lewin and Hauswirth are members of UF’s Powell Gene Therapy Center.

The UF researchers and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania performed the technically challenging task of cloning a working copy of the affected gene into a virus that served as a delivery vehicle to transport it to the appropriate part of the eye. They also cloned a genetic “switch” that would turn on the gene once it was in place, so it could start producing a protein needed for the damaged eye cells to function.

After laboratory tests proved successful, the researchers expanded their NIH-funded studies and were able to cure animals in which X-linked retinitis pigmentosa occurs naturally. The injected genes made their way only to the spot where they were needed, and not to any other places in the body. The study gave a good approximation of how the gene therapy might work in humans.

“The results are encouraging and the rescue of the damaged photoreceptor cells is quite convincing,” said Flannery, who is on the scientific advisory board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which provided some funding for the study. “Since this type of study is often the step before applying a treatment to human patients, showing that it works is critical.”

The researchers plan to repeat their studies on a larger scale over a longer term, and make a version of the virus that proves to be safe in humans. Once that is achieved, a pharmaceutical grade of the virus would have to be produced and tested before moving into clinical trials in humans. The researchers will be able to use much of the technology they have already developed and used successfully to restore vision.

University of Florida

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Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Joins in National Glaucoma Awareness Month in Effort to Save Sight from Second Leading Cause of Blindness

January 30th, 2012

Today, more than 2.2 million Americans, including 41,344 Wisconsinites, age 40 and older have open angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma. At least half don’t even know they have it. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the world, second only to cataracts, and the leading cause of blindness in African-Americans.According to research funded by Prevent Blindness America, glaucoma costs the U.S. economy $2.86 billion every year in direct medical costs for outpatient, inpatient and prescription drug services.

As part of January’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is joining with other leading eye health organizations in encouraging everyone to educate themselves on the disease as well as make a New Year’s resolution to make eye health a priority.

Glaucoma has long been termed the “sneak thief of sight” because it slowly takes away vision, often without the patient even realizing it. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve which sends information from the eyes to the brain. When the optic nerve is damaged, peripheral vision begins to diminish. If left untreated, over time, glaucoma may also damage central vision. Unfortunately, once symptoms are detected, the effectiveness of treatment diminishes. Once vision is lost, it cannot be restored.

Risk factors for glaucoma include advancing age, family history, nearsightedness, eye injury or surgery and the use of steroid medications. Race is another major risk factor as, according to the National Eye Institute, glaucoma is five times more likely to occur in blacks than in whites and blacks are four times more likely to go blind from it. Hispanics are more likely to develop glaucoma after age 60 than any other group.

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and Prevent Blindness America provide free resources to educate consumers on glaucoma, including treatment options and general information at “The Glaucoma Learning Center,” a free website at www.preventblindness.org/glaucoma. Free printed materials are available by request including the “Guide for People with Glaucoma.” This comprehensive booklet serves as a handbook for patients and includes information on what to expect during treatment and even a list of questions to ask the eye doctor.

The Glaucoma Learning Center also hosts the “Glaucoma Web Discussion Forum” that allows patients and caregivers the opportunity to discuss online all subjects related to the disease. Topics range from general information on the condition and its treatment, to shared experiences and emotional support.

“We want to stress to everyone that vision can be saved from glaucoma through early diagnosis and treatment,” said Barbara W. Armstrong, Executive Director of Prevent Blindness Wisconsin. “Please visit our website or call our toll-free number to get all the free information you can to educate yourself on risk factors, treatment options and even Medicare coverage. Let’s all commit to make 2012 the year to make our eyes a priority and save our sight!”

For more information on glaucoma or other eye diseases, please call Prevent Blindness Wisconsin at 414.765.0505 or visit Prevent Blindness Wisconsin’s website.

About Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
For over 50 years, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin has pursued its mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight. An affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin provides free vision screenings to preschool children, school age children, and adults. It also provides public and professional education in vision health, safety, and vision loss prevention.

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is the only non profit organization in the state providing these services. Since 1958 Prevent Blindness Wisconsin has screened more than 5 million children and over 230,000 adults. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin receives no government money, and relies entirely on the public and business community for support of its sight saving services. For more information or to make a sight saving contribution, call (414) 765-0505.

wisconsin.preventblindness.org

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The Eye Clinic of Texas Offers Free Glaucoma Screening

January 26th, 2012


“We are particularly sensitive to the need to build awareness for timely glaucoma screening and evaluation in our community as glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness with a predilection for our African-American and Hispanic populations,” stated Bernard Milstein, M.D., Ophthalmologist and Founder of The Eye Clinic of Texas.

More than 3 million Americans, and nearly 70 million people worldwide, have glaucoma. It is estimated that half of them don’t even know they have it as a result of limited access to eye care.

“In combination with the rapid growth of the aging population in Houston and throughout Texas, the threat of preventable blindness looms large if we don’t raise awareness about the importance of regular eye examinations to preserve vision,” commented Texas Ophthalmologist Allan Fradkin, M.D., Co-Founder of The Eye Clinic of Texas. “This is an important time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease. Our understanding of this disease along with the ways in which we can diagnose and treat it have improved considerably,” commented Dr. Fradkin. The most common type of glaucoma–primary open angle glaucoma–is hereditary. The Nottingham Glaucoma Study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology evaluated the risk that siblings of Glaucoma patients would themselves develop glaucoma within their lifetime and found that siblings of glaucoma patients were 5 times more likely to develop glaucoma by age 70. “This is why we strongly recommend that siblings of glaucoma patients and even glaucoma suspects be monitored for glaucoma, each and every year, said Dr. Fradkin.

As a service to patients and their families, The Eye Clinic of Texas is offering a Free Glaucoma Screening at their Galveston office located at 2302 Avenue P, Galveston, TX 7750 between January 23, 2012 and February 29, 2012 from 8:15 AM-5:00 PM, Monday thru Friday.

Anyone interested in a Free Glaucoma Screening can simply phone 1-800-423-3937 to reserve a spot for the screening.

 

About The Eye Clinic of Texas
The Eye Clinic of Texas is a leading eye care practice serving the greater Houston, Galveston, League City and Texas City area that provides all aspects of general, medical, surgical, laser and optical eye care services. Our Board Certified Ophthalmologists perform Laser Eye Surgery such as LASIK, Cataract Surgery & Lens Implants using advanced technology IOLs to correct complex problems such as astigmatism and near vision focusing problems including presbyopia, diagnosis and management of glaucoma, diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy, diagnosis and management of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Pediatric Ophthalmology. Texas EyeWear at The Eye Clinic of Texas provides personalized consultation and fitting of eyeglasses and eyeglass lenses for greater Houston, Galveston, League City and Texas City area patients.

To learn more about The Eye Clinic of Texas you may visit http://www.ecot.com or http://www.facebook.com/ecot.lasik.


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21st U.S. Optometry School To Open In Massachusetts

December 26th, 2011

The Doctor of Optometry program at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) has been granted “Preliminary Approval” by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE). Scheduled to begin in August 2012, with 64 students at each level, it will be the 21st school of optometry in the U.S.

The official letter from the ACOE stated that the program “has clearly demonstrated it is developing in accordance with Council standards. The program has approval to begin student recruitment, selection and admissions, and to begin offering the program.”

The accreditation effort was led by founding dean of the school, Lesley Walls, OD, and vice dean, Kent Daum, OD. Most recently, Walls served as president of the Southern California College of Optometry, and he was also the dean of optometry at Pacific University in Oregon and at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. Daum served as vice president and dean of academic affairs at the Illinois College of Optometry.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the entire profession of optometry because our optometry students will be educated and trained side-by-side in a multiple disciplinary setting along with students in physical therapy, pharmacy and physician assistant programs,” said Walls.

The school will be located at Worcester’s Lincoln Square Living and Learning Center, which the College purchased in 2010 and currently houses 200 students. Construction on the six-story, 54,000-square-foot building where the School of Optometry will be located is well underway. It will include an on-site optometry clinic, research space, administrative offices, faculty/staff offices, and an optical dispensary. The College received permission from the Worcester Planning Board to move forward with the $10 million project in September.

Founded in 1823, MCPHS is the oldest institution of higher education in the entire city of Boston and the second oldest college of pharmacy in the U.S. “This setting will help to ensure that future ODs are recognized as an integral part of the entire health care team,” added Walls.

www.mcphs.edu

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