Stride and ride for cures for vision loss Oct 4, 2009
Steele, who has RP and hearing loss (Usher Syndrome), notes that FFB funded research has generated advances in gene therapy, therapeutic drugs, retinal cell transplants, artificial retinas and other treatments, some of which show promise of restoring vision that has been lost. Christine Anastos, also of Arlington, is co-chair of FFB s Shades of Spring Gala and serves as a volunteer and committee member for the Boston VisionWalk. (Arlington Advocate, MA)
Molecular Defect Involved In Hearing Loss Discovered May 15, 2009
In Usher syndrome and some other sensory neuronal diseases that cause deafness, the symmetry of the stereocilia and the process of mechanotransduction is disrupted, resulting in deafness. "It has been known for some time that defects in the hair cells make people deaf, but no one knew why it was thought that perhaps synapses in the hair cells somehow degenerate or the cells don't develop normally," Mueller says. (Science Daily)
Clues To Beating Hearing Loss Mar 12, 2009
Mutations in this protein have been linked to hearing loss, particularly of the type connected to Usher syndrome, which is a form of degenerative deaf-blindness ... Follow-up studies could include a more detailed analysis of the role of myosin 7 in Usher syndrome, an inherited genetic condition, which affects hearing, sight and balance ... There is no cure for Usher syndrome and sufferers are usually offered assistance in managing their disabilities. (Science Daily)
Device restores limited sight to the blind Mar 10, 2009
Called Argus II, the device is part of a panoply of revolutionary research around the country that seeks to restore vision to more than 10 million people who have lost it due to macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome and other diseases. The research includes gene therapies, dietary treatments, even the development of artificial retinas. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Molecular Motors In Cells Work Together, Study Shows Feb 26, 2009
A greater understanding of cell motility and the ways in which cells move cargo within cells could eventually lead to therapies for neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease), diabetic neuropathy, and Usher syndrome, a progressive loss of hearing and vision. Neurodegenerative diseases can be caused by defects in the transport processes within neural cells. (Science Daily)
Jonesboro High students to compete in regional Academic Bowl Feb 16, 2009
Vazquez, who can speak, never thought she would need to learn sign language until a few years ago when she was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a disease that destroys a person s hearing and sight. The junior, who has a hearing aid surgically implanted in her skull, is now learning Braille and how to walk with a cane. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
