all Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary stories

NIH awards Harvard Medical School $117.5 million, five-year grant for patient-centered research

404132862 — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:42:32 -0400

The National Institutes of Health today announced that Harvard Medical School (HMS) will receive $117.5 million over the next five years for the establishment of a Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) that will transform patient-oriented, laboratory-to-bedside research at HMS and its affiliated hospitals.

M. Judah Folkman, biomedical pioneer, dies at 74

404132862 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:55:01 -0500

One of Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) most forward-looking and innovative physician-scientists, M. Judah Folkman, died suddenly Monday (Jan. 14) after suffering a heart attack at the Denver International Airport in Denver. He was 74.

Researchers discover second light-sensing system in human eye

404132862 — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:51:32 -0500

New research on blind subjects has bolstered evidence that the human eye has two separate light-sensing systems — one that perceives the familiar visual signals that allow us to see and a second, separate system that tells our body when it is day or night.

Researchers have long known that the eye performed both functions but until recent years it had been thought that both vision and the management of the circadian rhythm that tells us when to be sleepy and when to be alert had been done all at once through the retina’s rods and cones that enable us to see.

Bacterium present in eyes with 'wet' age-related macular degeneration

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:23:08 -0400

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in Americans over the age of 55. The majority of vision loss is due to neovascular AMD, the advanced form of the disease characterized by the formation of blood vessels in the macula, the center part of the eye's retina. These blood vessels often leak, thus giving neovascular AMD the name of "wet" AMD.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) have found that chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium linked to heart disease and capable of causing chronic inflammation, was present in the diseased eye tissue of five out of nine people with "wet" AMD. However, it was not found in the eyes of more than 20 individuals without AMD, providing more evidence that this disease may be caused by inflammation. The study is described in the November 2005 issue of Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

"The paper showed that C. pneumoniae is capable of modifying the function of important cell types involved in regulating normal eye function," said lead author Murat Kalayoglu, MD, PhD. "We found that C. pneumoniae infection led to increased production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the key protein involved in wet AMD. That C. pneumoniae infection of human eye cell types increases VEGF production is therefore significant and could explain in part why VEGF levels are increased in many people with wet AMD." Kalayoglu is a Harvard Medical School research fellow in ophthalmology at MEEI.

Higher levels of systemic inflammatory markers associated with progression of AMD

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:18:42 -0400

Researchers led by Johanna M. Seddon, M.D., at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health, conducted a prospective longitudinal study to examine several biomarkers for cardiovascular disease, including CRP and IL-6, to measure the relationship between these biomarkers and incidence rates of progression of AMD. They found that higher levels of the systemic inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 are independently associated with the progression of AMD.

"To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study to report a positive association between the systemic inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 and the rate of progression to advanced AMD," the researchers wrote. "Smoking and obesity were significantly related to both CRP and IL-6 levels. Higher values of CRP and IL -6 were found to be significantly related to AMD independent of these biomarkers and other established risk factors."

The prospective cohort study began in 1989 and included 251 participants aged 60 and older who had some sign of non- exudative AMD and visual acuity of 20/200 or better in at least one eye at baseline. The AMD status was assessed by standardized grading of fundus photographs. Stored fasting blood specimens obtained at baseline were analyzed for levels of the various biomarkers.

MTV, Harvard study reveals adolescent disconnect

50443248 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:47:58 -0400

When it comes to the knowledge that loud noise may result in hearing loss and that hearing protection can help, the MTV generation suffers a definite disconnect, according to the results of a novel Web-based survey designed by researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI), Harvard Medical School (HMS), and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

MTV, Harvard Web study reveals adolescent disconnect: Unaware of hearing peril, yet willing to listen

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:10:34 -0400

While many adolescents and young adults expose themselves to loud music for entertainment, the researchers hypothesized that these individuals might not be aware that over-exposure could result in hearing loss. To find out, a survey was designed by the researchers and posted by the MTV Web site for three days. The survey included questions about views towards general health issues, including hearing loss.

Hearing loss was defined on a Likert scale as a low priority relative to health issues such as sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol/drug use, depression, smoking, nutrition and weight issues, and acne. Notably, most respondents had experienced tinnitus or hearing impairment after attending concerts (61 percent) and clubs (43 percent). Only 14 percent of respondents had used protective earplugs; however, many said they could be motivated to try ear protection if they were aware of the potential for permanent hearing loss (66 percent) or were advised by a medical professional (59 percent).

Noise-induced hearing loss has been reported as an increasing trend in children and adolescents by several studies. In a large national study, Niskar et al estimated that 12.5 percent of children aged 6 to 19 years have noise-induced hearing loss. Although short periods of exposure to amplified sound may be experienced without permanent hearing loss, the damage from chronic exposure to those sound levels is cumulative, so that a slight hearing loss in childhood can eventually become a substantial one in adulthood.

Research in brief

50443248 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:49:10 -0400

No link between breast cancer and consumption of chips and fries

Largest twin study of age-related macular degeneration finds genetics and environment play large role in disease

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:33:31 -0400

Researchers led by Johanna M. Seddon, M.D., at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health conducted the largest study of twins of its kind. Analyses of twins showed that genetic factors play a substantial role in the etiology of AMD and associated macular characteristics, explaining 46 percent to 71 percent of the variation in the overall severity of the disease. They found that environmental factors unique to each twin also contribute to the occurrence of this disease.

Drugs are effective against eye disease

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:33:15 -0400

Results of two large international clinical trials have shown positive results using Macugen, an experimental treatment that targets the abnormal blood vessels found in the "wet" form of macular degeneration. The results, described in November 2003 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., demonstrated the drug's ability to decrease vision loss. The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) in Boston participated in the clinical trials. In addition, researchers and physicians at MEEI - Tony Adamis (formerly of MEEI), Evangelos Gragoudas, and Joan Miller - were among the first to study the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which causes abnormal blood vessel growth in eye disease. Their experimental studies showed that levels of VEGF protein were increased in eyes that developed abnormal new blood vessels, and that VEGF-blocking drugs were able to prevent the growth of these abnormal blood vessels. Others, including Harvard's Lloyd Paul Aiello of the Joslin Diabetes Center and Lois Smith of Children's Hospital, corroborated the importance of VEGF in neovascular eye disease. These studies formed the basis for the drug development and clinical trials of anti-VEGF therapies, including Macugen, and demonstrate the importance of translational research, in order to transform scientific discoveries into new therapies for patients.

Discovery of inner ear cells may lead to new therapies

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:30:18 -0400

A research team led by Stefan Heller, a principal investigator at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary's Eaton-Peabody Laboratory and assistant professor at the Department of Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School, has discovered a new population of stem cells that reside in the inner ear of adult mice. Huawei Li, a postdoctoral associate of the laboratory, found that these cells give rise to new hair cells in the culture dish, as well as after transplantation into embryonic inner ears of laboratory animals.

Hormone replacement therapy may lower degenerative eye disease risk in postmenopausal women

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:26:32 -0400

ARM is a degenerative eye disease that affects the macula, which is responsible for central vision, which is necessary for reading, driving and recognizing people's faces. Advanced ARM is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among elderly individuals worldwide. Approximately 1.7 million people have decreased vision due to ARM, and 200,000 people develop advanced ARM with visual loss each year. A study published in the December 2002 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology showed that postmenopausal hormone therapy may reduce the risk of having advanced ARM among women with signs of maculopathy. "Decisions regarding postmenopausal hormone therapies are becoming increasingly complex, and it is important to evaluate their effects, including testing their relationship to eye diseases of aging," said lead author Johanna M. Seddon, director of the Epidemiology Unit at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

Chlamydia pneumoniae may contribute to heart attacks, strokes

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:26:34 -0400

Murat Kalayoglu of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Peter Libby of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Gerald Byrne of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center searched MEDLINE and considered online resources, texts, meeting abstracts, and expert opinion for the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerosis. They included five types of studies and extracted diagnostic, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic information from the selected literature. "Atherosclerosis causes approximately half of all adult deaths in the Western hemisphere and continues to be a major health problem worldwide," Kalayoglu, the lead author, said. "Traditional risk factors such as elevated cholesterol clearly contribute to these cardiovascular diseases, but leave some 40 percent of cases unexplained. Recent appreciation of atherosclerosis as a chronic, inflammatory disease has rekindled efforts to examine the role that infectious agents may play in atherogenesis." Their analysis of the data suggests that Chlamydia pneumoniae, which causes "walking pneumonia," may contribute to atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, and its complications, such as heart attack and stroke.

Experimental drug shows promise in treating severe, often-lethal complication of stem cell transplants

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:24:56 -0400

An experimental drug called defibrotide reversed severe veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver in more than one third of the stem cell transplant recipients enrolled in a study. VOD is a type of potentially fatal liver damage that can result from the high doses of chemotherapy given prior to a transplant. The findings, to be published in the Dec. 15, 2002, issue of Blood, have been posted as a "First Edition Paper" on the journal's web site (www.bloodjournal.org). "Stem cell transplant patients suffering from severe veno-occlusive disease are at a very high risk of death, with a mortality rate in excess of 90 percent. The results from this study are compelling, especially given the remarkable safety of the drug in this extremely sick population," says Paul G.

Snack foods may increase risk of age-related sight loss

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:15:26 -0400

Macular degeneration results from the malfunctioning or loss of function of photo-sensitive cells in the retina. According to the Macular Degeneration Foundation, more than 13 million people in the United States are affected; a new case of adult macular degeneration is diagnosed in the U.S. every three minutes. A study in the August 2001 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology found that a higher intake of specific types of fat, including vegetable, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, may be associated with a greater risk for advanced adult macular degeneration.