Research

New Technique May Improve Corneal Transplant Survival

August 27, 2018

Researchers have developed a potential new strategy for improving outcomes in corneal transplant surgeries by injecting vasoactive intestinal peptide into the eye. ... Read more about New Technique May Improve Corneal Transplant Survival

Autoimmune Response Drives Vision Loss in Glaucoma

August 10, 2018

Elevated eye pressure caused T cell infiltration into the eye

New research shows that immune cells developed from early exposure to bacteria contribute to vision loss in glaucoma patients.

Researchers develop new class of antibiotics to fight leading superbugs

March 29, 2018

In a significant advance against drug-resistant superbugs, investigators supported by the Harvard-wide Program on Antibiotic Resistance have identified a new class of synthetic antibiotics that have been shown to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus. The newly discovered antibiotics could one day help treat deadly infections caused by these superbugs.

The research group, which included Michael Gilmore, PhD, Sir William Osler Professor of...

Magali Saint-Geniez and Russell Woods champion vision research funding as participants in ARVO/NAEVR Advocacy Day

February 15, 2018

As part of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) Advocacy Day, Magali Saint-Geniez, PhD, and Russell Woods, PhD, two vision researchers from Schepens Eye Research Institute at Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Ophthalmology,...

Paper by Harvard faculty and trainees in TVST top ten of 2017

February 13, 2018

A paper written by Harvard Ophthalmology faculty Ivana K. Kim, MD; Demetrios G. Vavvas, MD, PhD; John B. Miller, MD; ...

The back of the eye in a patient with AMD, showing multiple large drusen deposits and pigment changes

Researchers identify potential biomarkers of age-related macular degeneration

September 12, 2017

Findings may lead to earlier diagnoses and better prognostic information for patients — and, potentially, new pharmaceutical targets for AMD treatment.

Boston, Mass. — Patients with any stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) carry signs of the disease in their blood that may be found through special laboratory tests, according to a new study led by AMD researchers based at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. The study, ...

Synergy moves optic nerve regeneration from impossible to plausible

July 12, 2017

Larry Benowitz

Regenerating the optic nerve was long considered impossible. But over the last 20 years, advances in the field have instilled confidence in many researchers—including ...

Antibiotic-resistant microbes date back to 450 MYA, well before the age of dinosaurs

May 11, 2017

Survival of mass extinctions helps to explain near indestructible properties of hospital "superbugs"

picture portrayal of early life

Boston, Mass. — Leading hospital “superbugs,” known as the enterococci, arose from an ancestor that dates back 450 million years — about the time...

New technique may prevent graft rejection in high-risk corneal transplant patients

May 1, 2017

Treating donor tissue with a special cocktail of molecules improves outcomes and promotes survival of high-risk corneal transplants

Boston, Mass. — Treating donor corneas with a cocktail of molecules prior to transplanting to a host may improve survival of grafts and, thus, outcomes in high-risk corneal transplant patients, according to a new study led by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. The findings, ...

Researchers identify mechanism of retina damage following chemical eye burns

April 13, 2017

Findings may lead to the development of therapies to prevent damage to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

Boston, Mass. — Chemical eye burns caused by alkali agents not only injure the front of the eye — the cornea, where the contact takes place — but also cause widespread damage to the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (the retina) as well, often leading to optic nerve damage and glaucoma. In a report...