<![CDATA[Newsroom University of 野狼社区]]> /about/news/ en Sat, 28 Dec 2024 12:14:48 +0100 Fri, 26 Oct 2018 09:22:49 +0200 <![CDATA[Newsroom University of 野狼社区]]> https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_1369.jpg /about/news/ 144 Hearing and visual aids linked to slower age-related memory loss /about/news/hearing-and-visual-aids-linked-to-slower-age-related-memory-loss/ /about/news/hearing-and-visual-aids-linked-to-slower-age-related-memory-loss/303891Hearing aids and cataract surgery are strongly linked to a slower rate of age-related cognitive decline, according to new research by University of 野狼社区 academics.

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Hearing aids and cataract surgery are strongly linked to a slower rate of age-related cognitive decline, according to new research by University of 野狼社区 academics.

According to and , cognitive decline- which affects memory and thinking skills- is slowed after patient’s hearing and sight are improved.

The rate of decline was halved following cataract surgery and was 75% less following the adoption of hearing aids.

The research on cataract surgery - which is published in  today– was carried out using 2,068 individuals who underwent cataract surgery between Wave 2 and Wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing survey from between 2002 to 2014.

They were compared with 3,636 individuals with no cataract surgery.

And the research on hearing aids, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in July, was carried out using 2040 participants in the American Health and Retirement survey from 1996 to 2014

Both surveys assess cognitive decline by testing memory, asking participants to recall 10 words immediately and then at the end of the cognitive function module.

The researchers compared the rates of decline before and after the patients had surgery or started wearing a hearing aid.

Dr Dawes said: “These studies underline just how important it is to overcome the barriers which deny people from accessing hearing and visual aids.

“It’s not really certain why hearing and visual problems have an impact on cognitive decline, but I’d guess that isolation, stigma and the resultant lack of physical activity that are linked to hearing and vision problems might have something to do with it.

“And there are barriers to overcome: people might not want to wear hearing aids because of stigma attached to wearing them, or they feel the amplification is not good enough or they’re not comfortable.

“Perhaps a way forward is adult screening to better identify hearing and vision problems and in the case of hearing loss, demedicalising the whole process so treatment is done outside the clinical setting. That could reduce stigma.

“Wearable hearing devices are coming on stream nowadays which might also be helpful. They not only assist your hearing, but give you access to the internet and other services

Dr Maharani said: “Age is one of the most important factors implicated in cognitive decline. We find that hearing and vision interventions may slow it down and perhaps prevent some cases of dementia, which is exciting- though we can’t say yet that this is a causal relationship.

“Other studies have attempted to look at rates of cognitive decline- but have not really succeeded as it’s hard to take into account demographic factors.

“But the beauty of this study is that we’re comparing the progress of the same individuals over time.”

‘’ is published in Plos One.

‘’ is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

This research is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Framework

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Fri, 12 Oct 2018 08:21:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_hearing-aid.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/hearing-aid.jpg?10000
Scientist gets top award for pioneering research into macular disease /about/news/scientist--gets-top-award-for-pioneering-research-into-macular-disease/ /about/news/scientist--gets-top-award-for-pioneering-research-into-macular-disease/297645A leading scientist from The University of 野狼社区 has been chosen for a coveted national award by leading sight loss charity the Macular Society.

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A leading scientist from The University of 野狼社区 has been chosen for a coveted national award by leading sight loss charity the .

38, is one of the winners in this year’s Macular Society Awards for Excellence. He has been rewarded in the Rising Star of the Year category for his pioneering research into macular disease. It’s a case of second time lucky for Dr Clark, who is based at the University’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, having previously been shortlisted for the award in 2017.

Dr Clark’s work has focused on the links between a person’s complement system, part of the immune system, and macular disease. Extensive laboratory work has helped Dr Clark and his team gain a much greater understanding of macular disease and they have developed a new drug for the condition called Coalexin. Coalexin is set to begin clinical trials in the next two years.

Alongside his cutting-edge research, Dr Clark has been praised for his editorial and scientific contributions to a number of respected scientific journals, as well as his close collaboration with other universities throughout the world, including in Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States. In addition, he has been helping inspire budding scientists by regularly hosting students at his laboratory, enabling them to learn more about macular disease.

Dr Clark said: “Although I knew I’d been shortlisted for the award, I really wasn’t expecting to win, so it was a lovely surprise when the Macular Society rang to tell me.

“I’ve been nominated for awards before, but this is the first time I’ve won anything like this, and it’s very humbling. It’s taken a little while to sink in, but I’m so pleased to have been chosen. Alongside going to collect the award next month, I’m hoping to do something with my family to celebrate too.”

Dr Clark will receive his award at the Macular Society’s national annual conference, which takes place at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel in London, on 22 September. He will also be speaking at the conference, providing guests with an overview of current research into age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Now in its 10th year, the Macular Society Awards for Excellence is run by the charity to celebrate the inspirational work done to provide services and care for people with macular disease all over the UK.

Rising Star of the Year is one of five honours handed out by the charity as part of the awards. There are also prizes for Clinical Service of the Year; Optician / Optometrist of the Year; a Chairman’s Award for Volunteering, and Chairman’s Award for Fundraising.

The Macular Society is the national charity for anyone affected by central vision loss. It has more than 400 support groups across the UK, which help to increase the confidence and independence of people affected by macular disease. AMD is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting more than 600,000 people. More people are affected as our population ages, and it is estimated that by 2050, around 1.3 million people will have AMD.

Cathy Yelf, chief executive of the Macular Society, said: “Our annual awards are our chance to recognise and reward professionals like Dr Clark for their incredible commitment and dedication in the fight against macular disease. It’s thanks to them that potential new treatments for macular conditions continue to be discovered.

“The work Dr Clark undertakes is truly pioneering and it’s only right that his efforts should be rewarded in this way. On behalf of everyone at the Macular Society, I’d like to add our thanks, and congratulate him on this excellent achievement.”

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Wed, 15 Aug 2018 15:00:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_newspapers.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/newspapers.jpg?10000
Effective communication from doctors could reduce anxiety for wet age-related macular degeneration patients /about/news/communication-doctors-reduce-anxiety-wet-age-related-macular-degeneration-patients/ /about/news/communication-doctors-reduce-anxiety-wet-age-related-macular-degeneration-patients/184871Highly effective current treatments for vision loss need to be allied with careful counselling to ensure patients maintain good psychological health as well as good vision, new research recommends.

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Highly effective current treatments for vision loss need to be allied with careful counselling to ensure patients maintain good psychological health as well as good vision, new research recommends.

wAMD is the commonest cause of vision loss in the western world, but modern treatments have dramatically improved the level of vision patients can expect to retain. These treatments involve regular injection of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) into the eye.

However, a new study conducted at 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital and published in the , demonstrates high levels of undiagnosed anxiety and depression persisting in patients receiving treatment, despite their improved visual outcomes.

野狼社区 researchers say that the study findings demonstrate the value of human interaction between clinician and patient in offering reassurance around the efficacy and safety associated with anti-VEGF injections.

, Senior Lecturer in Ophthalmology at The University of 野狼社区, Consultant Ophthalmologist, at Central 野狼社区 University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT), and lead author of the study, said: “There have been amazing scientific achievements in diagnosing and treating serious eye diseases, such as wAMD, which have revolutionised our ability to reverse life-changing vision loss. However, we must not forget the human element when applying all this to ensure all our patients can reap the full benefits of this cutting-edge science.

“This study represents one of the largest and most detailed examinations of patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy to date. It helps us understand how factors such as patients’ understanding and building strong relationships with healthcare professionals may help alleviate anxiety around receiving injections.”

The report suggests that patients may benefit from additional assurances from clinical staff regarding; success rates in halting disease progression with anti-VEGF therapy, how it can reduce the risk of becoming blind in the future, and the low likelihood of serious problems occurring following the injections.

Dr Hugo Senra, the Clinical Psychologist who conducted the study, said: “This study also highlights the importance of considering specialised counselling for certain wAMD patients. Literature has shown that tailored psychological and psychosocial interventions can be effective to reduce anxiety and depression in wAMD patients, and contribute to their adjustment to illness and medical treatments.”

The research found as many as 89% of patients who showed anxiety, and 91% who showed depression were not receiving appropriate psychological and psychiatric treatment.

Although levels of depression reduce once anti-VEGF therapy is established, doctors should be vigilant to such symptoms and their potential to impair quality-of-life. Use of standardised tools to screen wAMD patients for symptoms of anxiety and depression in the macular treatment unit could better help identify patients at risk. Further research and controlled trials will be needed to better understand anxiety and depression in wAMD patients and develop new intervention tools at patient and clinical level to reduce symptoms and improve quality-of-life.

This study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (). It was also funded by a grant from , in order to support the ophthalmology community in transforming care and supporting people living with retinal conditions.

Dr Jackie Napier, Medical Director for Ophthalmology at Bayer, said "At Bayer we are dedicated to working in partnership with the ophthalmology community to help transform lives, and an important element of this is working together to improve the holistic support that is provided to patients, carers and their families. We are proud to support this study, which is one of the first of its kind in the UK to investigate the experience of patients with wet AMD receiving anti-VEGF therapy. This type of research can help shape improvements in patient education and support, and thus enable people with wet AMD to get the most from their treatment."

The article 'Experience of Anti-VEGF Treatment and Clinical Levels of Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration', by Hugo Senra, Konstantinos Balaskas, Neda Mahmoodi, Tariq Aslam (), appears online at , published by .

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Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:17:45 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_dhakshiinfrontofslitlamp.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/dhakshiinfrontofslitlamp.jpg?10000
野狼社区 patients to receive bionic eye implants /about/news/manchester-patients-to-receive--bionic-eye-implants/ /about/news/manchester-patients-to-receive--bionic-eye-implants/161959Five blind 野狼社区 patients will be among the first in the country to receive revolutionary bionic eye implants funded by the NHS.

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Five blind 野狼社区 patients will be among the first in the country to receive revolutionary bionic eye implants funded by the NHS.

NHS England will provide funding for further testing of the Argus II, also known as the Bionic Eye, for ten patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), an inherited disease that causes blindness.

Five of these procedures will take place at the 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital (MREH) from 2017, with the other half at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

Surgeons at 野狼社区 and Moorfields made history by delivering the world’s first trial of the Argus II bionic eye implants in RP . MREH surgeons also performed the first ever bionic eye implant on a patient with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2015.

NHS England will fund this through its Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) scheme, designed to gather vital evidence for treatments that show significant promise for the future. NHS England will assess how the Bionic Eye helps patients function with everyday tasks.

One of the first implanting surgeons was Professor Paulo Stanga from 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital, University of 野狼社区 and 野狼社区 Vision Regeneration (MVR) Lab at NIHR/Wellcome Trust 野狼社区 Clinical Research Facility. Prof. Stanga, who has played a crucial role bringing the bionic eye to patients on the NHS, says: “I’m delighted that our pioneering research has provided the evidence to support NHS England’s decision to fund the bionic eye for the first time for patients. It surpassed all of our expectations when we realised that one of the RP patients in 野狼社区 using the bionic eye could identify large letters for the first time in his adult life.”

This news comes just weeks after the Department of Health announced a £12.5m investment into 野狼社区’s clinical research facilities.  The NIHR/Wellcome Trust 野狼社区 Clinical Research Facility has provided the dedicated space, specialist staff and equipment to support the Bionic Eye studies, which demonstrated that the bionic eye device restores a degree of visual function to patients who have suffered complete vision loss due to RP. 

“Our work also has the potential to improve the lives of thousands of other patients with the more common condition, age-related macular degeneration – 野狼社区 is currently the only site in the world to be trialing the bionic eye in AMD”, added Prof. Stanga.

Patients using the system, developed by American company Second Sight Medical Products, are given an implant into their retina and a camera mounted on a pair of glasses sends wireless signals direct to the nerves which control sight. The signals are then ‘decoded’ by the brain as flashes of light.

Grandfather-of-five from Lancashire, Keith Hayman, 68, was one of three people who had been fitted with the bionic eye at 野狼社区 Eye Hospital by Professor Stanga during a trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2009. He has been blind for 25 years having been diagnosed in his 20s while working as a butcher and was forced to give up work in 1981 when he was registered blind. He says; "Having spent half my life in darkness, I can now tell when my grandchildren run towards me and make out lights twinkling on Christmas trees. When I used to go to the pub, I would be talking to a friend, who might have walked off and I couldn't tell and kept talking to myself. This doesn't happen anymore because I can tell when they have gone. These little things make all the difference to me."

Grégoire Cosendai, VP of Europe for Second Sight Medical Products Inc, said: “Second Sight wishes to congratulate NHS England for this decision to make this truly revolutionary and life-changing technology available for patients. Argus II makes a real difference to blind people. It may be, for some patients, the difference between staying at home alone, or being able to find your way outside. Now this treatment is to be offered free of charge to blind patients in the UK. This is a major victory for blind people in the UK who have supported us in our six-year mission to fund Argus II in England.”

Dr Jonathan Fielden, Director of Specialised Commissioning and Deputy National Medical Director, NHS England said: “This highly innovative NHS-funded procedure shows real promise and could change lives. The NHS has given the world medical innovations ranging from modern cataract surgery, new vaccines and hip replacements. Now once again the NHS is at the forefront of harnessing ground-breaking science for the benefit patients in this country."

Procedures will take place during 2017 and patients will then be monitored for a period of one year, during which they will be assessed on how the implants improve their everyday lives.
 

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 ]]> Thu, 22 Dec 2016 00:01:00 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_patientkeithhaymanwithprofessorstanga.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/patientkeithhaymanwithprofessorstanga.jpg?10000
Genetic mutations that lead to macular degeneration blindness mapped by new research /about/news/genetic-mutations-that-lead-to-macular-degeneration-blindness-mapped-by-new-research/ /about/news/genetic-mutations-that-lead-to-macular-degeneration-blindness-mapped-by-new-research/154876Two gene mutations that trigger a retinal disease that causes blindness in one in 5,000 males have been mapped, leading to the potential for new therapeutic treatments.

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Two gene mutations that trigger a retinal disease that causes blindness in one in 5,000 males have been mapped, leading to the potential for new therapeutic treatments.

Researchers from The University of 野狼社区 undertook a structural analysis of X-linked Retinoschisis (XLRS), a genetic disease leading to a type of macular degeneration in which the inner layers of the retina split causing severe loss of vision and gradual blindness. Currently, there is no effective treatment for XLRS, with research focused on understanding how the disease occurs in the retina.

XLRS is caused by mutations in the retinal protein retinoschisin. The protein plays a crucial role in the cellular organisation of the retina, assembling itself to form paired octameric (consisting of eight retinoschisin) rings. The rings each resemble an 8-bladed propeller. This new structural insight yielded important clues into how retinoschisin performs its crucial role in the retina and spurred efforts to investigate what happens to this structure when it is mutated in XLRS.

Using a cryo-electron microscope, the team examined the paired rings as well as the effects on the rings of two XLRS-causing mutations. The effects of these mutations, despite being reported to cause the disease, were unknown and may offer explanations on how the normal protein functions in the retina.

 

, Professor of Biochemistry at The University of 野狼社区 and lead author of the research team’s resulting paper, said the cryo-electron microscopy allowed them to identify the location of the mutations on the rings.

“We found that one disease-causing mutation sits in the interface between the octamer rings, causing retinoschisin to be less stable. The other mutation is on the propeller tip which we think is a novel interaction site for other binding proteins in the retina.”

As well as identifying the mutations and precisely mapping their locations, the research team held out the possibility that future work could lead to genetic interventions and treatments, which could limit or prevent the damage caused by XLRS.

“XLRS is a promising candidate for gene therapy, so our findings on these two different classes of mutations will be informative for future therapeutic strategies,” concluded Professor Baldock.

The paper, entitled ‘’, was published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddw345

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Fri, 04 Nov 2016 09:56:38 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_rings3.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/rings3.png?10000
Art project explores 野狼社区 professor's work on artificial sight /about/news/art-project-explores-manchesters-professors-work-on-artificial-sight/ /about/news/art-project-explores-manchesters-professors-work-on-artificial-sight/153665A unique art project showing how artificial and natural sight have been combined for the first time in history has is launched at 野狼社区 Science Festival.

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A unique art project showing how artificial and natural sight have been combined for the first time in history has is launched at 野狼社区 Science Festival.

An exciting new project is exploring the damage of sight loss caused by Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and the use of the ground-breaking bionic eye for vision restoration.

Artist, Lucy Burscough is bringing the pioneering work of Paulo Stanga, Professor of Ophthalmology and Retinal Regeneration, to life with Ocular Bionica, an exquisitely painted stop-frame animated film made in a hospital setting with support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery funded Grants for the Arts programme.

, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon for the 野狼社区 Vision Regeneration (MVR) Lab at 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital (MREH) and NIHR/Wellcome Trust 野狼社区 Clinical Research Facility, , Ray Flynn, with the Argus® II ‘bionic eye’. Ray is the first person in the world to have combined artificial and natural vision.

The art project, part of , tells the story of Ray, who underwent the four-hour operation to have the bionic eye implanted in June 2015. With the Argus II system switched on, Ray is able to make out the outline of people and objects even with his eyes closed. With his eyes open, Ray successfully combines vision from his artificial vision with his remaining natural vision. Lucy’s film is a world first – because it shows what this looks like for Ray.

Lucy spent time interviewing Ray about how he got involved in the clinical research trial and his experiences of taking part. She has painted detailed and vivid pictures including Ray, Professor Stanga and his team, to illustrate the development of the study and how it came to change Ray’s life.

Lucy said: “This work has been inspired by remarkable, cutting-edge technologies that hint at a future of biomedical bionics and the hacking of humanity. The film seeks to show viewers the world through Ray’s eyes, both before and after the device was fitted.

”The film was created in Lime Arts Studios, actually on site in CMFT and follows my previous work including celebrating 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital’s 200th anniversary in 2014.

“I am intrigued by perception and the differences between how different people see the same things. I am also interested in finding narratives in biomedical science and showcasing clinical research to a wider audience. I hope that the film inspires people to find out more about research here at Central 野狼社区 University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.”

Professor Stanga, who is also Professor of Ophthalmology & Retinal Regeneration at The University of 野狼社区 and Principal Investigator on the trial to test the usefulness of the Argus II in patients with total central vision loss due to AMD, said: “Lucy’s work depicts two unique aspects of sight loss for the very first time, which greatly adds to our understanding – and empathy with – a blind patient’s experience.

“The first is that Lucy has interpreted Ray’s ability to successfully combine artificial vision from the Argus II in his central visual field with his remaining natural vision, which is at the periphery of his sight.

“On a personal level, this is a very moving as well as an exciting experience, to literally see through Ray’s eyes and experience the real visual function benefits Ray has gained from his artificial vision. The film clearly shows how the Argus II system provides basic shapes and outlines of objects (or people) to fill in a gap in the centre of Ray’s sight destroyed by AMD, while he is still able to discern detail and colour using his natural vision, not affected by the AMD, at the corners of his eye.

“Ray is only one of five people in the world who have been implanted with the Argus II on the current AMD trial at 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital, to have combined natural and artificial vision. Ray is a very special bionic man, and thanks to Lucy, to be able to see through his eyes, will help people to understand more fully, the real impact that artificial vision can make to blind individuals.”

Audenshaw resident Ray (aged 81), who once had dinner with LS Lowry at the Grand Hotel in 野狼社区 said: “I was delighted to be asked to take part in the film. I very much enjoyed working with Lucy, who visited me on two occasions to take photos and recordings. Art’s an excellent way of explaining medicine and research, and I’m looking forward to seeing the film for the first time.”

The film will be on exhibition at the 野狼社区 Museum 27–30 October 2016. Further information is available on , and the project’s and feeds.

Details are also on .

The research study is now closed for recruitment and is currently not looking for patients to take part. However, if you are interested in taking part in research conducted by Professor Stanga, please email MVR.lab@cmft.nhs.uk and/or visit: .

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Seeing the light - chemists create mimic of key vision protein /about/news/seeing-the-light/ /about/news/seeing-the-light/126063

An artificial mimic of a key light-sensitive molecule has been made by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the Universities of 野狼社区, Hull and Bristol. Their work, published in Science, could lead to new ways of building light-sensitive artificial cells.

Dr Simon Webb from 野狼社区 and Professor Jonathan Clayden from Bristol, together with other scientists at the Universities of 野狼社区 and Hull, have created an artificial mimic of rhodopsin, a protein that resides in cell membranes in the retina. The absorption of light by rhodopsin is the first step in the biochemistry of vision.

Using molecular design features taken from some antibiotic molecules that also bind to membranes, the researchers were able to design and build a molecule that finds its way into a membrane and switches between different shapes in response to light of specific wavelengths.

The work revealed that unlike many natural molecules, these artificial structures have similar properties in solution and in membranes, making the prediction of their behaviour much more reliable.

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Thu, 12 May 2016 14:18:41 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_moleculareye.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/moleculareye.jpg?10000
Blindness therapy comes a step closer following licensing deal with US firm /about/news/blindness-therapy-comes-a-step-closer-following-licensing-deal-with-us-firm/ /about/news/blindness-therapy-comes-a-step-closer-following-licensing-deal-with-us-firm/122274

Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, who have a disease that can lead to blindness, could have their sight restored after The University of 野狼社区 entered into a technology license with Seattle-based company Acucela Inc.

The agreement will see commercialise technology developed by researchers at The University of 野狼社区 that has the potential to partially restore vision in people who are blind from degenerative retinal conditions such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).

RP is an inherited retinal disease that causes a progressive degeneration of the photoreceptor cells in the eye. Often beginning in childhood, RP patients most commonly first experience difficulties with peripheral and night vision, followed by poor colour perception and central vision; in many sufferers this can eventually result in legal blindness. RP affects approximately 1 out of every 4,000 people in the US, Europe and Asia, around 1.5M people in total, and there is currently no effective treatment for this disorder.

Acucela, a clinical-stage ophthalmology company that specialises in developing treatments to slow the progression of sight-threatening diseases of the eye, will now undertake a programme of clinical trials ahead of commercialisation of the technology. It is anticipated that the first patients will be treated within three years and Acucela plans to evaluate the ability of the therapy to partially restore vision in patients who are legally blind.

The therapy was developed by University of 野狼社区 researchers Dr Jasmina Cehajic-Kapetanovic and Professors and . In advanced RP the photoreceptor (light-sensitive) cells die off, but other neuronal cells are still present in the retina. In trials using RP affected mice with a complete loss of their photoreceptor cells, the scientists used a gene therapy approach which successfully made these other cells light-responsive. This optogenetic therapy was sufficiently effective at restoring visional responses in the mice to allow them to detect spatial patterns presented using an ordinary flat screen display.

Commenting on the license arrangement Dr. Ryo Kubota, MD, PhD, and Chairman, President and CEO of Acucela said: “We are extremely excited to enter into this collaboration with the University and to begin the important development work needed to unlock the potential of optogenetic gene therapy to improve visual function in patients who have lost much of their vision as well as their hope.”

Dr. Paul Bishop, FRCOphth, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, University of 野狼社区 added: “This is a very exciting therapeutic approach as the blind mice we treated could see surprisingly well in normal lighting conditions, and we think the approach may be safe as we are putting a normal human retinal protein back into the retina, but in cells that don’t normally make it. We are delighted at the prospect of working with Acucela towards restoring some visual function in patients who have severe visual loss from RP and similar conditions.”

The agreement was negotiated on behalf of the University by its technology transfer office, . Director of Operations at UMIP, Dr. Rich Ferrie commented, “We believe that Acucela is the ideal partner to develop a gene therapy for RP based on this ground-breaking science. The licensing arrangement has the potential to deliver significant economic return to the University if the clinical trials and commercialisation programme are successful. More importantly the signing of this agreement represents a potentially pivotal moment and offers real hope for millions of RP patients around the world.”

The technology was first reported in Current Biology in June 2015 and in The New Scientist in August 2015 and it was also presented at the ARVO eye research conference in the US in May 2015.

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Wed, 13 Apr 2016 11:43:16 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_eyeshot.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/eyeshot.jpg?10000
European research to tackle the triple challenge of dementia, hearing and vision impairment /about/news/european-research-to-tackle-the-triple-challenge-of-dementia-hearing-and-vision-impairment/ /about/news/european-research-to-tackle-the-triple-challenge-of-dementia-hearing-and-vision-impairment/117333The combined impact of dementia, age-related hearing and vision impairment is to be investigated by a new multi-million European research consortium led by The University of 野狼社区.

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  • Seven in ten Europeans over the age of 65 suffer from either sight or hearing problems
  • Over two thirds suffer from depression or dementia
  • The project aims to investigate this combined impact and develop new tools
  • The combined impact of dementia, age-related hearing and vision impairment is to be investigated by a new multi-million European research consortium led by The University of 野狼社区.

    Seven in ten Europeans over the age of 65 suffer from either sight or hearing problems and over two thirds suffer from depression or dementia. When combined together the cumulative impact of these dual or triple impairments is far greater than the individual conditions. The scale of combined sensory and cognitive problems is substantial but poorly understood.

    The five year project, led by The University of 野狼社区, has been funded with €6.5m from the European Commission’s research programme. The project aims to investigate this combined impact and develop new tools that could improve quality of life and optimise health and social care budgets across Europe.

    , an academic psychiatrist from The University of 野狼社区, who is the lead researcher on the project, said: “In combination these problems have a much greater effect than each one individually. Imagine if you have dementia which affects your memory or interferes with your recognition of familiar people. When you add visual impairment to that, you can understand why those affected may experience even greater cognitive difficulty or even experience altered behaviour such as agitation or hallucinations.

    “The burden on carers – often family members – is also increased as they are required to do much more on a daily basis and we see a greater number of these suffering from burn-out.”

    The project seeks to define the scale of the challenges so that authorities across the continent can allocate resources more optimally. At the same time, researchers will also develop online tests, guides and multi-lingual training manuals to help medical professionals diagnose and treat the combined problems more effectively.

    Minority groups are particularly disadvantaged with respect to diagnosis and treatment of mental and sensory problems, so researchers will be seeking out people from these groups to participate in the research.

    The programme will also trial an intervention of at-home support for people with dual- and triple-impairments. This will be supported by specialist sensory therapists based at and will focus around pragmatic solutions to support both the affected person and their carer.

    , a University of 野狼社区 audiologist and co-lead of the SENSE-Cog project said: “Millions of people in the UK and wider EU are affected by this combination of problems and it’s only going to get more prevalent as the population ages. That’s why we have to understand the scale of the problem and then equip the public, carers and health care workers with the tools they need to deal with it. If we could reduce disability due to hearing and vision impairment, there is huge potential to improve mental well-being and even delay the deterioration of dementia.”

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    Wed, 09 Mar 2016 11:23:08 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_istock-000083379035-full.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/istock-000083379035-full.jpg?10000
    Birth weight and poor childhood growth linked to hearing and vision problems in middle age /about/news/birth-weight-and-poor-childhood-growth-linked-to-hearing-and-vision-problems-in-middle-age/ /about/news/birth-weight-and-poor-childhood-growth-linked-to-hearing-and-vision-problems-in-middle-age/90583 

     

    A study of up to 433,390 UK adults, led by The University of 野狼社区, has linked being under and overweight at birth with poorer hearing, vision and cognition in middle age.

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  • Very small and very large babies had the poorest hearing, vision and cognitive function
  • Under-nutrition may impact on development of the brain and sensory systems
  • A study of up to 433,390 UK adults, led by The University of 野狼社区, has linked being under and overweight at birth with poorer hearing, vision and cognition in middle age.

    Researchers in 野狼社区, Nottingham, Cincinnati and Madison, Wisconsin analysed data from up to 433,390 UK adults from study.

    Associations with birth weight – an index of prenatal growth – were complex.  Larger babies falling within the 10th and 90th percentile of weight had better hearing, vision and cognition in adulthood.

    But very small and very large babies had the poorest hearing, vision and cognitive function.  Better growth during childhood (as indexed by adult height) was associated with better hearing, vision and cognition in adulthood.

    Dr Piers Dawes, a lecturer in audiology at The University of 野狼社区’s led the study.  He said: “Sensory problems and illness such as dementia are an increasing problem but these findings suggest that issues begin to develop right from early life.

    “While interventions in adulthood may only have a small effect, concentrating on making small improvements to birth size and child development could have a much greater impact on numbers of people with hearing, vision and cognitive impairment.”

    The data was taken from the UK Biobank study which contains detailed information on UK adults aged between 40-69 years in 2006-2010 from across the country. The researchers used statistical techniques to correct for other sources of impairment such as smoking, economic deprivation and other existing health decisions.

    As a result they suggest in the research paper that under-nutrition may impact on development of the brain and sensory systems. Alternatively, growth hormones and changes in genetic regulation may be affected by experiences early in life and impact on neurosensory development.

    The paper, ‘’ was published in the journal PLOS One.  The study was facilitated by the 野狼社区 Biomedical Research Centre.

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     ]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2015 09:52:02 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_neonataleczema453x306.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/neonataleczema453x306.jpg?10000
    Scientists move closer to curing common eye disorder /about/news/scientists-move-closer-to-curing-common-eye-disorder/ /about/news/scientists-move-closer-to-curing-common-eye-disorder/87580
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa affects 1.5m people
  • The treatment works by expressing a human protein into the undamaged cells of the retina
  • A team led by Rob Lucas, GSK Professor of Neuroscience, carried out the pioneering research which may help sufferers of retinitis pigmentosa, a group of inherited eye disorders.

    The treatment works by expressing a light sensitive human protein called rod opsin into the undamaged cells of the retina, so that it will turn them into special cells called photoreceptors which enable sight.

    It was trialled on mice who had inherited advanced retinal degeneration and so were essentially blind.

    The mice were able to distinguish flickering from steady light as well as spatial patterns and a ‘natural movie’ – an advance on attempts to combat the disorders using non-human proteins.

    Retinitis Pigmentosa is a leading cause of blindness worldwide: 1.5 million people worldwide are thought to be currently affected.

    Using a human protein, says Professor Lucas, is as advantageous as it is less harmful and easy to produce.

    Professor Lucas said: “We aim to find ways of restoring photosensitivity to the retina in conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa in which loss of rod and cone photoreceptors lead to blindness.

    “The protein rod opsin seems to be relatively successful under normal office light conditions, with images presented using standard computer screens.

    “Other researchers have also had some success using other sorts of light protein, but these generally require much brighter light beyond what we generally experience.”

    Professor Lucas' paper was published in the journal Science Biology.

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    Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:47:53 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_eyedisorder.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/eyedisorder.jpg?10000
    野狼社区 professor conducts world鈥檚 first bionic eye implant /about/news/manchester-professor-conducts-worlds-first-bionic-eye-implant/ /about/news/manchester-professor-conducts-worlds-first-bionic-eye-implant/81407The world’s first implant of a bionic eye has been carried out by a University of 野狼社区 academic.

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  • The world’s first implant of a bionic eye
  • Professor Paulo Stanga led the four hour operation on pensioner Ray Flynn
  • The world’s first implant of a bionic eye has been carried out by a University of 野狼社区 academic.

    led the four hour operation on pensioner Ray Flynn at the which implanted a device to convert video images from a miniature camera installed in his glasses.

    Mr Flynn, 80, has age related macular degeneration, a condition which affects over 500,000 people in the UK. The condition is not painful but it means that central vision is impaired resulting in people being unable to read or drive and having difficulty recognising faces.

    For Mr Flynn this meant he was unable to watch his beloved 野狼社区 United on television or do gardening. He was fitted with the device in June which was activated on 1 July and Professor Stanga is delighted with the results.

    “Mr Flynn’s progress is truly remarkable,” said Professor Stanga. “He is seeing the outline of people and objects very effectively.

    “The dry form of AMD is a common, but untreatable condition. In the western world, it is the leading cause of sight loss. Unfortunately, with an ageing population, it is becoming more common."

    The technology works by turning the images captured by the camera into small electrical pulses.  These are transmitted wirelessly to electrodes on the retina surface where they stimulate the remaining cells and replicate the patterns of light for the brain.  Over time Mr Flynn will learn to interpret these patterns and regain vision.

    “This technology is revolutionary and changes patients’ lives – restoring some functional vision and helping them to live more independently,” said Professor Stanga, who works in the University’s as Professor of & Retinal Regeneration.

    “As far as I am concerned, the first results of the trial are a total success, and I look forward to treating more dry AMD patients.”

    Notes for editors

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    Tue, 21 Jul 2015 23:14:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_14880_large-2.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/14880_large-2.jpg?10000
    Gold and white or blue and black? #TheDress explained /about/news/gold-and-white-or-blue-and-black-thedress-explained/ /about/news/gold-and-white-or-blue-and-black-thedress-explained/81607Clinical vision scientist, Dr Neil Parry, sheds some light on why millions around the world are confused about the colour of a dress in a photo circulating on the Internet.

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    Clinical vision scientist, Dr Neil Parry, sheds some light on why millions around the world are confused about the colour of a dress in a photo circulating on the Internet.

    “This is an example of a bistable image, like the famous and illusions. 

    “These illusions are ambiguous and so the brain tries to build a model of the likeliest interpretation.  Sometimes it has prior information, sometimes not.

    “This photo is ambiguous because there are clues about the ambient light which may be wrong.  In fact we know it's a badly exposed picture because the original dress is deep blue.

    “The washed out background of the image gives the impression that it was taken outside on a bright day.  White reflects the ambient light and so when we are outside, white is actually quite blue when measured by a machine that just reports reflected wavelengths. 

    “But the visual system isn't a dumb machine.  There is a phenomenon called colour constancy, which helps keeps our perception constant under widely varying illumination, for example the huge change in the colour of daylight from the  morning (blue) to the evening (red). 

    “Because of colour constancy, the bus you get to work in  the morning appears the same colour as the one you take home, even though its physical colour can be changed dramatically by the illuminant.   Colour constancy needs context and the context here is ambiguous. 

    “Going back to the dress, if you take the context away (by showing a naive observer a small section of the dress), most people say it’s blue if they haven't already seen the whole picture. 

    “When I first saw it I wasn't sure and swayed between blue and white.  But now I know that the dress is definitely deep blue and  the photo is overexposed, I no longer ever perceive it as white. 

    “So there is another factor at play and that is prior knowledge.  The visual brain uses models of the world whenever it can to help make sense of what it is seeing. 

    “If, instead of a dress, it had been a banana, then, regardless of the illuminant and photographic inaccuracy, it’s more likely to be perceived as yellow, because we all know that that a ripe banana is supposed to be yellow.”

    Read more about the University’s vision research .

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    Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:29:00 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_14001_large-2.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/14001_large-2.jpg?10000
    New funding to tackle major cause of sight loss /about/news/new-funding-to-tackle-major-cause-of-sight-loss/ /about/news/new-funding-to-tackle-major-cause-of-sight-loss/81711Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of severe sight loss in the UK, accounting for more than half of people registered as severely sight impaired.

    Now, a new research project co-funded by sight loss charities and aims to break new ground The University of 野狼社区.

    In AMD, the macula – a small part of the retina at the back of the eye – starts to degenerate, affecting the central area of vision. It is known that both genes and environmental factors play a part in the risk of developing AMD. Alterations to sections of DNA that encode specific genes can change the amount or type of proteins made in the body. However, it is not known if ‘epigenetics’ (long-term changes that are not caused by a change in the DNA sequence) are involved.

    In collaboration with researchers in The Netherlands, a team led by from the University’s will compare DNA from 2,000 people with AMD and 2,000 without, to look for epigenetic activity. “This European collaboration is in a unique position to study the role of epigenetics in AMD,” said Dr Clark. “It will increase our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning AMD and could result in the identification of novel therapeutic targets.”

    “Partnering with National Eye Research Centre to co-fund this project is an important way to stimulate clinical research,” said Dr Dolores M Conroy, Director of Research at Fight for Sight. “We’re also pleased to be able to directly address priorities that matter to people with sight loss, as identified during the Sight Loss and Vision Priority-Setting Partnership.”

    Mike Daw, Chief Executive at National Eye Research Centre, added “Eye research remains a critically underfunded category of medical research and we believe that collaborating in this way ensures that these important research projects, which might otherwise not receive funding, can now offer real hope to people with sight loss.”

    Notes for editors

    Jamie Brown
    Media Relations Officer
    The University of 野狼社区
    Tel: 0161 2758383
    Email: jamie.brown@manchester.ac.uk

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    Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:59:00 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_unimanchesterimage.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/unimanchesterimage.jpg?10000
    New insight into common cause of blindness /about/news/new-insight-into-common-cause-of-blindness/ /about/news/new-insight-into-common-cause-of-blindness/81742Scientists at The University of 野狼社区 have identified an important new factor behind one of the major causes of blindness, which they hope could lead to new treatments.

    Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of blindness in the western world, affecting around 50 million people. It has been shown that sufferers are genetically predisposed to develop the condition.

    One of the most important risk associated genes is called complement factor H (CFH).  This encodes a protein called factor H (FH) that is responsible for protecting our eyes from attack by part of our immune system, called the complement system. FH achieves this by sticking to tissues, and when it is present in sufficient quantities it prevents the complement system from causing any damage.

    Scientists from the have now discovered that the protein factor H is not the main regulator of immunity in the back of the eye, instead it is a different protein that is made from the same CFH gene. This is called factor H-like protein 1 (FHL-1). The research has been published in .

    , a Career Development Fellow, led the research: “FHL-1 is a smaller version of FH, in fact it is about a third of the size. However, it has all the necessary components to regulate the immune system and is still subject to the genetic alterations that affect AMD risk. Our research has shown that the FHL-1, because it is smaller than FH, can get into structures of the back of the eye which cannot be reached by the larger FH.” 

    He continues: “Therefore, this research suggests that it is FHL-1 rather than FH which protects the back of the eye from immune attack and that insufficient FHL-1 in the back of the eye may result in inflammation that eventually results in vision loss from AMD. FHL-1, although very similar to FH in many ways, does have a totally unique ‘tail’ structure at its end. This tail seems to mediate how FHL-1 binds tissue. As such, this work has identified a new target for therapeutics aimed at readdressing immune imbalance in the eye, thereby preventing or slowing down AMD.”

    Dr Clark successfully identified FHL-1 in human eye tissue that was donated with consent for research following removal of the corneas for transplantation. 

    He says: “There is no better way to understand and prevent blindness than to use actual human tissue.”

    Notes for editors

    Media enquiries to:

    Jamie Brown
    Media Relations Officer
    The University of 野狼社区
    Tel: 0161 2758383
    Mob: 07887 561318
    Email: jamie.brown@manchester.ac.uk

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    Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:10:00 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_13283_large-2.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/13283_large-2.jpg?10000
    Genetic test speeds up diagnosis for children with cataracts /about/news/genetic-test-speeds-up-diagnosis-for-children-with-cataracts/ /about/news/genetic-test-speeds-up-diagnosis-for-children-with-cataracts/82341

    A blood test for children born with cataracts will allow faster diagnosis and more personalised treatment, according to researchers from 野狼社区.

    The team, from at The University of 野狼社区, have developed a test that checks all genes known to cause congenital cataracts using just one blood sample.

    "Using next-generation sequencing, we are now able to identify the cause of cataracts in children in a way that is much faster and more cost-effective than the current method," said Rachel Gillespie, who developed the test and spoke at speaking at the recent British Genetic Medicine conference.

    Congenital cataracts are a leading cause of blindness in children, affecting around 200,000 children around the world every year. It is thought around half of cases are due to genetic mutations whilst the remainder are caused by environmental risk factors during pregnancy, for example exposure to infections such as rubella.

    Mutations in over 100 genes have been linked to congenital cataracts. Conventional screening methods involve the consecutive testing of each gene separately to determine the precise genetic cause, which is a time-consuming and costly process.

    "At the moment, screening for one gene takes around four weeks. There are more than 100 known genes linked to congenital cataracts, so establishing the cause by screening genes individually can sometimes take years," said Gillespie. "Our test looks at all of these genes in parallel, so patients can be diagnosed much faster and receive the treatment, clinical management and genetic counselling they need."

    As more patients are tested and more knowledge is gained about the genetic basis of the condition, it is hoped that pinpointing the exact mutation responsible will enable doctors to make more accurate predictions regarding how the cataracts may progress and what the outcome of surgery may be.

    Genetic testing can also bring to light more complex conditions whose symptoms typically do not emerge until later in life. "In some cases, we have identified that the cataracts aren't just a standalone problem, but a symptom of a more complex syndrome," said Gillespie. "This includes Warburg micro syndrome and galactokinase deficiency, both rare conditions that are probably under-diagnosed, as warning signs in children can be subtle."

    The team, from The University of 野狼社区 and the Central 野狼社区 NHS Foundation Trust, are validating the test and it will become available on the NHS by December this year, from which point they will be accepting samples for diagnostic testing. The team consists of Professor Chris Lloyd from 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital, and St Mary’s Hospital and University of 野狼社区 Institute of Human Development and Rachel Gillespie, University of 野狼社区.

    The research was funded by .

    Notes for editors

    For further information, please contact Alison Barbuti | Media Relations Officer | Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences |The University of 野狼社区 Tel. +44 (0)161 275 8383 | Mobile 07887 561 318 |
    Email: alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk

     

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    Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:00:00 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_10662_large-2.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/10662_large-2.jpg?10000
    UK first for new eye treatment trial /about/news/uk-first-for-new-eye-treatment-trial/ /about/news/uk-first-for-new-eye-treatment-trial/82719

    A team of 野狼社区 eye specialists has treated the first two patients in a new trial of radiotherapy for the eye disease wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

    The radiotherapy is delivered by a non-invasive robotic device called IRay® Radiotherapy System which uses low-level radiation, similar to a dental x-ray. Patients treated with the IRay device sit at the machine with their chin on a chin rest. A contact lens is placed on the surface of their eye, and a robot tracks any eye movement via the lens and maintains stability. This allows a controlled dose of radiation to be precisely delivered into the eye on the macula.

    The team, led by Mr Tariq Aslam, Consultant Ophthalmologist at 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at The University of 野狼社区, conducted an initial clinical trial of IRay in 2011. This trial, called INTREPID, combined radiation therapy with the standard AMD treatment of injections into the eye. The number of injections needed within the treatment group was reduced by 32%, compared to people receiving the standard treatment of a monthly injection into the eye. Certain patients achieved an even higher reduction in injections of up to 50%. 

    The 野狼社区 team then worked with the developer of IRay, US-based company Oraya Therapeutics, to make the device even easier to use and to further reduce treatment times for patients and clinical staff. They are now running a clinical trial over the next few months with 10 patients using the enhanced IRay workflow alongside injections.

    Patients only need one session of IRay treatment, which potentially can reduce or even remove the need for the regular injections. 

    AMD affects thousands of people and is the leading cause of blindness in the UK for people over 65 years of age. Wet AMD is an aggressive form of the disease, affecting 250,000 people in this country, and if left untreated can quickly lead to loss of central vision.

    “Treatments such as this under clinical trial conditions represent a significant logistical challenge and Iain McLean, our research manager, and Ekaterina Varimezova-Georgieva, our research co-ordinator, were instrumental to achieving the treatments,” said Mr Aslam.

    “This novel therapy has to be co-ordinated with the timing of the patients’ standard treatment and the availability of Oraya’s specialist engineers, who come over from the US to provide technical support. Both 野狼社区 patients were delighted to have been given this novel therapy, which showed significant improvements to standard AMD care in earlier randomised studies.”

    Mrs Stella Chandler from North 野狼社区 is one of the first two patients treated with IRay in this new trial. She said: “I joined the trial as I was driven by optimism about the potential benefits of the treatment in my own case, and also because this research could help other people. Having regular injections into one or both eyes is a traumatic process, so anything that reduces the frequency of the injections will be a positive result.”

    Local funding support helped the trial to take place in 野狼社区. Debbie Vinsun, Greater 野狼社区 Comprehensive Local Research Network (GM CLRN) senior manager, said: "Congratulations to Tariq and the ophthalmology team at the Royal Eye Hospital. They have used National Institute for Health Research GM CLRN funding to support staff with different skills, such as a photographer, nurses and a co-ordinator, to ensure that patients in Greater 野狼社区 are getting access to treatments which are not only cutting edge but show promising improvements to the current treatments."

    Mr Aslam added: "IRay is an exciting new technology that targets one of the most common causes of blindness in the UK. If the initial results are borne out in this further trial, then a majority of patients will have something to look forward to - an easily administered, one-off treatment that maintains or improves vision, and fewer injections into their eye."

    Ends

    Notes for editors

    The INTREPID study is the first sham-controlled double-masked trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a one-time radiation therapy in conjunction with as-needed anti-VEFG injections for the treatment of wet AMD. The results of the study were presented during the EURETINA Congress in Milan in September 2012. 

    The National Institute for Health Research is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website ().

    Central 野狼社区 University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a leading provider of specialist healthcare services in 野狼社区, treating more than a million patients every year. Its eight specialist hospitals (野狼社区 Royal Infirmary, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Royal 野狼社区 Children’s Hospital, 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital, University Dental Hospital of 野狼社区 and Trafford Hospitals) are home to hundreds of world class clinicians and academic staff committed to finding patients the best care and treatments. ()

    Oraya Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately-held company developing innovative and non-invasive therapies for diseases of the eye. Founded in 2006, Oraya is funded by Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, Synergy Life Science Partners, Scale Venture Partners and Domain Associates.

    The University of 野狼社区, a member of the Russell Group, is one of the largest and most popular universities in the UK. It has 20 academic schools and hundreds of specialist research groups undertaking pioneering multi-disciplinary teaching and research of worldwide significance. According to the results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, The University of 野狼社区 is one of the country’s major research institutions, rated third in the UK in terms of ‘research power’. The University had an annual income of £809 million in 2010/11. ()

    For further information please contact:

    Lucy Prosser
    Web Communications Officer
    野狼社区 Biomedical Research Centre

    Tel: 0161 701 0260
    Mob: 0782 514 2219
    Email: lucy.prosser@cmft.nhs.uk

    Or Aeron Haworth
    Media Relations
    Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences
    The University of 野狼社区

    Tel: 0161 275 8383
    Mob: 07717 881563
    Email: aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk

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    Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_9135_large-2.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/9135_large-2.jpg?10000
    Hearing and sight loss study first to use major health resource /about/news/hearing-and-sight-loss-study-first-to-use-major-health-resource/ /about/news/hearing-and-sight-loss-study-first-to-use-major-health-resource/82722野狼社区 scientists studying hearing and sight loss are the first to use key health data from UK Biobank, a research project of global importance based in the city.

    At the same time, UK Biobank has embarked on phase two of the project – inviting 20,000 participants from the 野狼社区 area back for a second assessment.

    Dr Piers Dawes and Professor Kevin Munro, from the School of Psychological Sciences at The University of 野狼社区, will examine data from half a million UK Biobank participants, including 120,000 volunteers who joined the project from the north-west.

    The work will provide unique insight into the prevalence of hearing and vision problems. The team will examine the risk factors for hearing disability, including noise exposure, cardiovascular disease, diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, medications and brain function. They will also examine how hearing loss, visual impairment and dual sensory impairment affect quality of life.

    Hearing loss is a common problem. There are around 10 million people with hearing loss in the UK and, with an ageing society, this is forecast to increase to 14.5 million by 2031.  Around 25% of participants who joined UK Biobank reported difficulties with hearing, which can have a profound impact on emotional, social and physical well-being. Despite this, hearing loss receives relatively little research attention (in 2010, £1.34 research money spent per person affected, compared to £14.31 for vision and £49.71 for cardiovascular research). Loss of vision affects 2 million people in the UK, 80,000 of working age.

    Dr Dawes said: “Almost everyone will experience hearing loss as they grow older; it is a big problem and will get worse. UK Biobank offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the causes of hearing loss. Our first analyses of UK Biobank data are concerned with quantifying hearing problems along with environmental risk and protective factors. 

    “We hope that this research will lay the foundation for future work exploring interactions between genetics and environmental risk factors for hearing loss.

    “With a wide range of data included and the very large sample size, the UK Biobank provides a unique resource for doing this important research. Our ultimate aim is to identify ways of preventing hearing loss and improving quality of life for older adults.”

    The 野狼社区 team is collaborating with other leading scientists in the UK and US: Professors David Moore and Heather Fortnum at the Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham; Professor Adrian Davis, Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, London; Professor Mark Lutman, University of Southampton Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, and Dr Karen Cruickshanks, University of Wisconsin and Professor Larry Humes, Indiana University, in the US.

    UK Biobank, an exciting health resource, is hosted by The University of 野狼社区 and based in Cheadle, Cheshire. It is designed as a long-term project that will run for many years. UK Biobank has recruited more than 120,000 volunteers from the north-west of England over the past six years, to create a resource of 500,000 people nationally that scientists from around the world can study to help improve the health of future generations.

    When they joined, participants provided lots of information about their health and lifestyle, and UK Biobank is devising ways to collect yet more. Recently, and with participants’ permission, it has begun to follow health through medical records.

    It is also inviting some participants back for a second visit – to see how their circumstances and health have changed since they first joined the project, some more than six years ago. Participants attend an assessment at the UK Biobank co-ordinating centre in Cheadle, where their blood, urine and saliva samples are stored at sub-zero temperatures.

    Paul Downey, UK Biobank Director of Operations, said: “We have had an excellent response from people wishing to come back for a repeat assessment, so many thanks to them.

    “We are delighted people are taking the time to come along. There is a real interest in science, and a desire to be a part of this unique project.”

    UK Biobank is a long-term project funded primarily by the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council and the Department of Health. Information provided to researchers does not identify participants. As the resource matures over many years it should help provide key insights into the causes, prevention and better treatment of a wide range of common and life-threatening diseases.

    Almost 400 researchers have so far lined up to take advantage of the detailed health and lifestyle information, including those investigating stroke, chronic pain, heart and lung diseases, mental and dental health. The majority are from the UK, but around 15% are researchers from overseas.

    Dr Dawes and Professor Munro are the first researchers to receive data from the resource. Over time, UK Biobank expects many thousands of research projects will be using data provided by the resource.

    End

    Notes for editors

    For further information contact:

    Aeron Haworth
    Media Relations
    Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences
    The University of 野狼社区

    Tel: 0161 275 8383
    Mob: 07717 881563
    Email: aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk

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    Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/500_iron_bird_13.jpg?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/iron_bird_13.jpg?10000
    Blind patients in 野狼社区 join global trial of 'bionic eye' /about/news/blind-patients-in-manchester-join-global-trial-of-bionic-eye/ /about/news/blind-patients-in-manchester-join-global-trial-of-bionic-eye/83832野狼社区 eye specialists have implanted an artificial retina or 'bionic eye' in two patients who became blind due to advanced retinitis pigmentosa – an inherited and degenerative disease of the retina.

    The surgery was carried out by a team led by Paulo Stanga, Reader in Ophthalmology at The University of 野狼社区 and consultant ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon at the 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital.

    The pioneering procedure is part of an international trial of the intraocular electronic retinal prosthesis, which is intended to help some blind people regain a degree of vision. The 野狼社区 patients are two of only 25 people worldwide to participate in the trial to date.

    Using ArgusTM II technology, developed by Second Sight® Medical Products, Inc. (Sylmar, CA, USA) the implant aims to restore a basic level of useful vision in the form of spots of light and shades of light and dark to people with very severe retinitis pigmentosa. 

    The technology consists of a tiny camera and transmitter mounted in a pair of glasses. This camera transmits a wireless signal via a small processing device to an ultra-thin electronic receiver, an electrode panel that is implanted in the eye and attached to the retina. The electrodes are intended to stimulate the remaining retinal nerves, allowing a signal to be passed along the optic nerve to the brain, which perceives patterns of light and dark spots corresponding to which electrodes are stimulated.

    “We are very encouraged by the trial’s results so far,” said Mr Stanga, who is based in the School of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and part of the National Institute for Health Research 野狼社区 Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

    “The 'bionic eye' operations went exactly according to plan and both patients are doing well, although it will be several months before the functional outcome is fully known. We hope the implant will improve each patient’s orientation and mobility, spatial localisation, and motion detection, perhaps giving these patients navigational vision in familiar and unfamiliar environments.

    “The trial remains inspiring in terms of presenting a very real and tangible step forward in treating people with total vision loss. These are early days and continued testing will be crucial in determining the success of the new technology."

    Extensive testing is just beginning on the two 野狼社区 patients as the implant and video camera link are turned on to try and optimise retinal stimulation. 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital is also recruiting new subjects to the trial. 

    Ends

    Notes for editors

    About the trial

    • The 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital trial is part of an international phase I clinical study, comprising feasibility studies in the United States, Europe and Mexico. Preliminary results were presented in October 2008 at the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS) annual meeting in Hawaii. 
    • A total of 25 people worldwide have been involved so far, two of whom received their treatment at 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital, part of the Central 野狼社区 University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Mr Stanga's team includes clinical staff from the Trust and researchers from The University of 野狼社区 and 野狼社区 Biomedical Research Centre.
    • The 野狼社区 Royal Eye Hospital trial is open only to subjects with complete vision loss from advanced retinitis pigmentosa and who meet the necessary criteria. To be eligible, patients must:
    1. Be aged 18 years or older at the date of enrolment.
    2. Have a confirmed history of retinitis pigmentosa.
    3. Have a visual acuity of logMAR 2.3 or worse in both eyes.
    4. Have a functional optic nerve.
    5. Have a memory of former useful form vision in the worse-seeing eye.
    6. Understand and accept the obligation to attend all scheduled follow-up visits.
    • GPs and other professionals can get more details about referring patients to the trial from Kate Barugh on 0161 276 5615 or kate.barugh@cmft.nhs.uk.
    • Further information about retinitis pigmentosa is available from the British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society at

    Interview requests

    • No patients are currently available for interview.
    • Paulo Stanga is available for media interviews on request. Please contact Ben Grothusen on 0161 901 2659, Jill Hulme on 07913 278514 or Aeron Haworth on 0161 275 8383.
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