Tuesday 31 July 2012

Researchers shed light on high myopia

The Straits Times
July 29, 2012
By Chang Ai-Lien

Researchers in Singapore have for the first time discovered genes associated with super high myopia that afflicts one in seven young people. They hope to have fine-tuned, in a few years' time, a test to identify such sufferers for early treatment - before they become severely myopic and at risk of going blind.




'The idea is to produce a test for several significant genes and combine it with behavioural traits, so we can single out which child will become myopic early and suffer a rapid progression of the condition,' said Professor Saw Seang Mei, vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Special eye drops, contact lenses or spectacles could then be used to retard the progress.

'We have solved most of the puzzle,' said Prof Saw, who is also with the university's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

She was involved in the massive research effort to uncover the genetic basis of myopia, together with scientists from institutions such as the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the Genome Institute of Singapore and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. The project combined the results of three large studies on 5,000 myopic adults and children here, comparing their genetic make-up to those without the condition.

It has identified several particular locations in a person's DNA associated with high myopia of 600 degrees and above, and future tests will home in on these genetic variations. When someone has myopia or short-sightedness, he sees near objects clearly but distant objects appear blurred. This is because the focal point of a visual image falls in front of the retina instead of directly on it, and the eyeball may be too long from front to back.

One of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness, myopia poses a significant public health burden in the region. Asia is experiencing a myopia epidemic, particularly in its big cities. Rates of the visual defect have been rising over the past two decades. In Singapore, the myopia capital of the world, eight in 10 people are short-sighted by the time they are 18.

Short-sightedness, typically caused by an elongated eyeball, is the result of both genes and the environment. Children here are more likely to spend their time reading or using the computer instead of going outdoors and being exposed to sunlight, which encourages the body to produce the chemical dopamine, which can prevent the eyeball from becoming elongated.

'With a predictive tool that combines gene tests with environmental factors, we can recommend the treatment for those who need it the most,' said Prof Saw.

The latest work, a combined effort of 15 local and international groups, was published in the journal PLoS Genetics last month. By the end of next year, the team expects to have a blueprint of the main genetic variants linked to myopia, after including data from the Consortium of Refractive Error and Myopia, an international consortium of 40 studies. The team expects to have a pilot test for high myopia ready in two to three years.

Associate Professor Teo Yik-Ying, head of the public health school's biostatistics domain, said: 'We are in a good position to be among the leaders in developing such tools because we have the technology and population diversity to do so.

'With our ethnic diversity, our population represents half the world.'

Friday 20 July 2012

Lose a limb than lose eyesight?

An eye-opening stat: almost 70 per cent of people from around the world would rather give up 10 years of their life, or even sacrifice one of their limbs, than lose their eyesight. 

Three-fourths of people would rather have their pay cut in half than have a permanent 50 per cent decline in the quality of their vision.

Yet less than one third of those polled take the basic steps necessary to preserve eye sight, according to the "Barometer of Global Eye Health," a new global survey released on July 18 by Bausch + Lomb.

This first-of-its-kind public opinion poll sheds new light on the state of consumer awareness, attitudes and behaviors related to eye health. While 80 per cent of visual impairment is preventable if detected and treated early enough, according to the findings not enough people are getting regular eye exams and their reasons for doing so vary wildly.

Click here to read the full report. 

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Mid-Year Double Bill 2012

The Macular Degeneration Society will again be having a mid-year double bill event, combining an exciting talk by Dr Mandeep Singh on “Progress in Stem Cell Treatments for Blindness” with our fifth Annual General Meeting.


This is the first time we are having a talk on stem cell treatments, which has been making strong progress in recent years in the treatment of blindness due to retinal degenerations.

Developments in novel therapies such as gene therapy, stem cell therapy and electronic retinal implants may result in new treatments for patients. 

This talk will focus on stem cell transplantation as a potential strategy to restore vision. What is the scientific evidence? Why do we want to use stem cells? Are there dangers and drawbacks? Will stem cells soon be available in the clinic?

The talk will be followed by our fifth AGM, which will be for paid-up members only. Yes, MDS is five!

Speaker: Dr Mandeep Singh

Date: Aug 11, 2012 (Sat)

Time: 2pm – 3.30pm

Venue: Seminar Room, Old Alexandra Hospital, Alexandra Road

The Speaker
Dr Mandeep Singh - MBBS(S'pore) MMed(Ophth) FRCSEd(Ophth) FAMS - is a Consultant in the Department of Ophthalmology, NUH, Singapore. He is currently pursuing a PhD in ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, investigating cell-based treatments for the retina.

After the talk, there will be a tea break from 3.30pm – 4.00pm, which will be followed by our AGM.

Please register for the event by calling Anne at 6238-7387 or e-mail Sharon at alleyes@singnet.com.sg

Tuesday 10 July 2012

China tightens rules on stem cell

South China Morning Post
July 10, 2012
By Fiona Tam

A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who helped draft the mainland's first regulations on clinical trials of stem cell treatments says the authorities are considering centralising such treatment and research in 50 hospitals and institutes.
 

Dr Wu Zuze said yesterday the Ministry of Health planned to select 50 hospitals and institutes as research bases. Other hospitals or research institutes that wanted to conduct clinical trials could only do so inside the 50 bases after their applications had been approved by the health authorities.

"A guidance note on clinical trials involving stem cell treatments and administrative rules on research bases have already been finished by the Ministry of Health and are expected to be released soon," Wu said.

The move is part of a year-long crackdown on unscrupulous hospitals that had been cashing in on desperate patients with unproven therapies.

Launched by the ministry in January, the crackdown included a six-month ban on registering new stem cell projects.

Many foreigners have flocked to mainland hospitals for expensive but untested stem cell treatments that are offered far more freely than in the United States and other Western countries. Experts estimate several hundred hospitals and clinics are providing such treatments to mainland and foreign patients.

Ministry of Health spokesman Deng Haihua said in Beijing yesterday that although the ban on registering new stem cell projects had expired last week, unscrupulous hospitals and clinics would not be able to launch unproven treatments as easily as before.

"All unproven stem cell therapies launched by hospitals themselves have been halted," he said. "[Given China's technology level], it's far from turning stem cells into clinical and other applications.

"The ministry and the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) are working together to draft regulations on clinical trials involving stem cell treatments."

Deng said that only a few hospitals and research institutes were allowed to provide stem cell therapies after a joint team from the health ministry and SFDA, as well as provincial-level agencies, inspected regional hospitals, clinics and medical institutes.

In January, the ministry ordered that all unauthorised and unproved stem cell clinical trials and applications be immediately suspended, and that those approved by the SFDA should strictly follow the authorities' instructions, with changes to the trials and profit-seeking banned. It also said that all clinical trials should be free of charge.

Mainland media have reported that some patients died after receiving untested stem cell injections and some found their conditions worsened after receiving therapies that cost up to US$20,000.

Deng admitted at an earlier press conference that the health authorities had found many problems in the mainland's handling of stem cell treatments.


Click here to read an earlier report of the problems with stem cell treatment in China.

Monday 9 July 2012

AMD up 25 per cent in US

Vision problems are on the rise in the United States, with age-related macular degeneration playing a driving role in the upsurge, according to a new report. 


AMD is up 25 per cent over the past 12 years. It means more than 2 milion American age 50 and above are now affected. 

The rise mirrors the ageing society. Other eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts have also gone up. 

Click here to read more.

Friday 6 July 2012

Will computers make you blind?

As a child, your mother always said: "Don't sit so close to the TV, or you'll go blind!" But now almost everyone who works at a desk spends their entire day staring at a screen from distances that are most definitely not "mom-approved."



Do all those hours spent staring at your personal glowing portal to the digital world have an effect on your eyesight? Recent studies show that Mom might have known a thing or two after all. Eyestrain has also been linked with an increased risk of glaucoma.

Click here to read this wonderful article on how computers can strain your eyes and what you can do about it. No, the answer is not to stop using computers. We know that is impossible in today's world. :)