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In The News |
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UF Researchers Awaken Vision Cells In Blind Mice
Source: University of Florida
University of Florida researchers used gene therapy to restore sight in mice with a form of hereditary blindness, a finding that has bearing on many of the most common blinding diseases.
Writing online in today’s (May 21) edition of Nature Medicine, scientists describe how they used a harmless virus to deliver corrective genes to mice with a genetic impairment that robs them of vision.
The discovery shows that it is possible to target and rescue cone cells — the most important cells for visual sharpness and color vision in people.
"Cone vision defines whether someone is blind or not," said William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D., the Rybaczki-Bullard professor of ophthalmic molecular genetics in the College of Medicine and a member of the UF Genetics Institute. "If you can usefully deliver a gene specifically to cone cells, there are implications for all blinding diseases, not just inherited ones. Even in two very common types of blindness, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, if you can target cones you might be able to rescue that vision."
Scientists experimented with mice with a form of hereditary blindness called achromatopsia, which affects about 1 in 30,000 Americans by disabling cone photoreceptors in the retina. The disease results in nearly complete color blindness and extremely poor central vision.
Read the full story here...
Advanced Medical Optics Voluntarily Recalls Complete MoisturePlus Contact Lens Solution
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care professionals and their patients who wear soft contact lenses about a voluntary recall of Complete MoisturePlus Multi Purpose Solution manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics of Santa Ana, Ca.
The company is taking this action as a precaution because of reports of a rare, but serious, eye infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, caused by a parasite. The link between the solution and the infection was identified as a result of an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Consumers who wear soft contact lenses should stop using the solution, discard all partially-used or unopened bottles and replace their lenses and storage container. "We believe the company acted responsibly in taking this voluntary action and support their decision to be proactive in the interest of public health," said Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "FDA and CDC are working closely with the company to collect additional information and we will continue to alert consumers and advise them as more information becomes available."
Acanthamoeba keratitis may lead to vision loss with some patients requiring a corneal transplant. The infection primarily affects otherwise healthy people who wear contact lenses. Read the full story here...
Highlights of the 2007 ARVO Meeting: A Technology Perspective
Ryan Alfonso, MPH
Managing Editor Medcompare
FT. LAUDERDALE, May 10 -- ARVO always provides a glimpse of what the future of ophthalmology has in store. The Medcompare team joined vision researchers from around the globe to learn about the latest research and clinical findings. As usual, the exhibit hall and poster sessions were well attended in spite of the beautiful Florida weather.
A recurring theme throughout the talks and poster sessions was that Lucentis®, (ranibizumab) was far superior to its competition, and has potential application in a wide variety of retinal ailments where VEGF or the inflammatory process is implicated in disease etiology (e.g., diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, retinopathy of prematurity, neovascular glaucoma).
A session entitled “The Future of Glaucoma Aqueous Shunts”, moderated by Don Minkler, MD, and Keith Barton, MD, covered the range of new approaches to an old problem. With George Baerveldt, MD and A. Mateen Ahmed, Ph.D. in attendance, presentations on the challenges of biomaterial selection, shunt placement, and design were given to a full house. The MIDI subconjunctival shunt (made of SIBS, the biocompatible polymer coating used in the Taxus paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent) and the Glaukos iStent (drains to Schlemm’s canal) were featured in separate talks. The Solx and “Camras” shunts were also discussed in detail. The Q&A period following the presentations lead to a discussion of the use of the Trabectome in co-morbid cataract patients. The conclusion was that trabeculotomies should be done prior to phacoemulsification because viscoelastics can impair visualization of the trabecular meshwork. Read the full story here...
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Upcoming Events for June and July |
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Study Coordinator Basic Training A-Z - This is a comprehensive introduction to Clinical Research for Allied Health Personnel. The foundational preparation required for the role of Clinical Research Coordinator will be provided. Course manual and other materials helpful to the study coordinator will be provided.
Click here for more information: http://www.ortsedu.com/course-descriptions.htm
Study Coordinator Intermediate Training - This seminar is designed for Study Coordinators with more than 12 months of clinical research experience. Study Coordinator Intermediate Training A-Z takes you beyond Study Coordinator Basic Training A-Z with in depth coverage of protocol evaluations, study budgets, developing a profitable research practice, design standard operating procedures for your site, informed consent process, marketing the clinical research practice and subject recruitment.
Click here for more information: http://www.ortsedu.com/course-descriptions.htm
Tools for the Study Coordinator – June Free Teleclass June 26th – Join us, and our guest speaker Jennifer Anderson as we learn the Top 10 Mistakes People Make that leaves them with Cluttered Offices and Homes and how we can un-clutter our lives. Plus more information on Clutter Day!
Click here for more information: http://www.ortsedu.com/calendar.htm
Tools for the Study Coordinator - July
- Do you want to make more money while enjoying a lower stress environment?
- Does the prospect of discovering your life’s purpose and passion excite you?
- Are you willing to take on new concepts and stretch beyond your comfort zone?
If you answered any of these questions with a "Yes" then Linda Zimmer could be the answer to helping you achieve more of what you want from life. If gaining prowess in time management, personal productivity, team building, communications skills, and ways to ensure financial freedom are of interest, then join us and our guest speaker Linda Zimmer as she shows how she can provide the guidance to make it happen. For more information on our guest speaker click here.
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Glossary Exploration |
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Each month we’ll help expand your clinical research understanding by exploring the terms and acronyms that we function with everyday. Seems simple right? But, there are so many things that we don’t know and others that we need to know better.
“People do the best with what they know – when they know better they do better!”
- Maya Angelou
IMPARTIAL WITNESS: A person, who is independent of the trial, who cannot be unfairly influenced by people involved with the trial, who attends the informed consent process if the subject or the subject’s legally acceptable representative cannot read, and who reads the informed consent form and any other written information supplied to the subject.
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP): A company that provides access to the Internet for individuals and organizations. ISPs range in size from small local services to huge national providers, like Netcom and AT&T, and international full-service providers like America Online (AOL).
MONITORING REPORT: A written report from the monitor to the sponsor after each site visit and/or other trial-related communication according to the sponsor’s SOPs.
UNEQUAL RANDOMIZATION: A technique used to allocate subjects into groups at a differential rate; for example, three subjects may be assigned to a treatment group for every one assigned to the control group
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