Research

Researchers Uncover Mechanism for How Common Gene Therapy Vectors Enter Cells

January 24, 2020

Luk Vandenberghe

Researchers led by a team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified a novel cellular entry factor for adeno-associated virus vector (AAV) types—the most commonly used viral vectors for in vivo gene therapy. AAVs are vectors–or vehicles—that are created from a virus that is made harmless by molecular engineering, and have shown promise transporting genetic therapy treatments to affected tissues.... Read more about Researchers Uncover Mechanism for How Common Gene Therapy Vectors Enter Cells

Mass. Eye and Ear Receives $2 Million for Corneal Research

September 5, 2019

The Tej Kohli Foundation has pledged $2 million over five years to establish the Tej Kohli Cornea Program at Mass. Eye and Ear, which will accelerate innovative and collaborative research to achieve unprecedented breakthroughs in corneal disease.

Resident Noam Rudnick Receives Gragoudas-Folkman Award

August 8, 2019

noam-rudnick Second-year Harvard Ophthalmology resident Noam Rudnick, MD, PhD, received the 2019 Gragoudas-Folkman Award, which will provide up to $20,000 to help fund his research on cell type-specific roles of autophagy in age-related macular degeneration.... Read more about Resident Noam Rudnick Receives Gragoudas-Folkman Award

Joan W. Miller Part of Expert Panel that Recommends Strategy Shift to Discover Dry AMD Treatments

July 26, 2019

A large-scale, collaborative, systems biology approach is needed to expedite the discovery of treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration, according to a report by a working group of scientists appointed by the National Advisory Eye Council (NAEC) that includes Joan. W. Miller, MD, Chair of Harvard Ophthalmology.

Researchers Identify Metabolomics as a Potential Tool to Improve Diagnostic and Prognostic Information on AMD

July 9, 2019

A recent meta-analysis, led by Deeba Husain, MD, suggests that AMD patients present distinct plasma metabolomic profiles, which vary with disease severity. After analyzing blood samples of their 491 patients from two cohorts–one in Boston and one in Coimbra, Portugal–they found that metabolites differed significantly between AMD patients as compared to controls, and with various stages of the disease.... Read more about Researchers Identify Metabolomics as a Potential Tool to Improve Diagnostic and Prognostic Information on AMD

Researchers Identify Viral Peptides Critical to Natural HIV Control

May 7, 2019

Investigators at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have used a novel approach to identify specific amino acids in the protein structure of HIV that appear critical to the ability of the virus to function and replicate.... Read more about Researchers Identify Viral Peptides Critical to Natural HIV Control

Mass. Eye and Ear Research Team Link Immune Cells to Uveitis

April 30, 2019

New research led by Kip Connor, PhD, finds that microglia—the primary immune cells of the central nervous system, including the retina—play a vital role in regulating neuroinflammation in autoimmune uveitis. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and featured on eyewire News, may one day lead to better treatment targets for the disease.

In the preclinical model of autoimmune uveitis, the researchers describe, for the first time, a role for microglia in directing the initiation of autoimmune uveitis by orchestrating the inflammatory response within the retina. In reaction to disease induction, microglia closely associate with the retinal vasculature and facilitate inflammatory immune cell entry past the blood brain, or ocular, barrier into the retina. When the researchers depleted microglia in this model, they observed that the disease was completely blocked.

Study Led by Michael Gilmore, PhD, Identifies Pathway for how Enterococcus Faecalis Bacteria Causes Antibiotic-Resistant Infection

April 18, 2019

A new study led by a research team from Harvard Medical School and Mass. Eye and Ear, describes how bacteria adapted to the modern hospital environment and repeatedly cause antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections. This study examined one of the first sustained hospital outbreaks of a multidrug-resistant bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis, which occurred from the early through the mid-1980s, causing over 60 outbreak strains.... Read more about Study Led by Michael Gilmore, PhD, Identifies Pathway for how Enterococcus Faecalis Bacteria Causes Antibiotic-Resistant Infection

Harvard Ophthalmology Faculty and Trainees Receive ARVO 2019 Travel Grant Awards

March 22, 2019

Arvo Vancouver Convention Centre

Congratulations to the following Harvard Ophthalmology Faculty and Trainees on recieving ARVO Travel Grants:

Dina B. K. Abusamra, PhD, Clinical Research Fellow at Mass. Eye and Ear
Saghar Bagheri, MD, Clinical...

Neuroglial Remodeling After Injury May Contribute to Retinal Degeneration

November 19, 2018

Eleftherios Paschalis head shot A study led by Eleftherios Paschalis, PhD, describes a mechanism by which patients with acute ocular injuries become susceptible to progressive neurodegeneration long after the injury has taken place.... Read more about Neuroglial Remodeling After Injury May Contribute to Retinal Degeneration