Eyecare professionals showed up in droves yesterday for the official launch of Silmo 2013. A strong turnout and a lively ambiance marked the start of the festivities. 

The day ended with the 20^th annual Silmo d’Or gala, held this year at the Showcase, a swanky nightclub located under the historic Pont Alexandre III.

Here are the winners:

“VISION” CATEGORY:
BBGR with “Intuitiv”
COOPERVISION with “MyDay”

“MATERIAL/EQUIPMENT” CATEGORY:
NIDEK with “ARK-1s”

“LOW VISION/OPTICAL INSTRUMENT” CATEGORY:
ESSILOR with “Prodigi Duo”

“CHILDREN” CATEGORY:
SEAPORT with “KILT 03” de Façonnable

“OPTICAL FRAME” CATEGORY:
DITA EYEWEAR with “Thom Browne TB-011”

“SUNGLASSES” CATEGORY:
FACTORY900-AOYAMA with “Fa-1111”

“SPORTS EQUIPMENT” CATEGORY:
JULBO with “Tensing Flight”

 

“FRAME TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION” CATEGORY:
CIDI with “3MOMI Tech”

 

SPECIAL PRIZE FROM THEJURY:

MASUNAGA with “Masunaga GMS Limited 2013”

 

Don’t miss our complete coverage of the show in the November issue of Opt!k magazine!

 

In trials using mice, a new class of drugs has proven highly effective at helping to reduce the abnormal blood vessels responsible for vision loss associated with AMD.

 

“We may have found an optimized treatment for macular degeneration,” said senior author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Sai Chavala.

 

MDM2 inhibitors are the source of this cautious enthusiasm. While anti-VEGF, presently the most widespread treatment, works by targeting the growth factors that lead to the formation of leaky blood vessels, MDM2 inhibitors attack the blood vessels directly, causing them to regress. This could lead to more long-lasting results.

 

The drug activates a protein called p53, a regulator that determines if a cell lives or dies. This protein initiates the cell death process in the abnormal blood vessels. Another technique, low-dose radiation, also works to increase p53 protein, but it causes DNA damage, which MDM2 doesn’t do.

 

“The idea is we’d like to have a long-lasting treatment so patients wouldn’t have to receive as many injections,” said Chavala. “That would reduce their overall risk of eye infections, and also potentially lower the economic burden of this condition by reducing treatment costs.”

 

Source:

http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2013/september/unc-research-points-to-promising-treatment-for-macular-degeneration

 

David Pietrobon, President and General Manager of HOYA Vision Care Canada, will be leaving the company effective September 30, 2013.

 

Mr. Pietrobon joined the Japanese firm in 2003 and has contributed significantly to the growth of HOYA Canada, from a small stock lens distribution firm to a successful player in the country’s lens and lab services market. During his tenure, HOYA has been the fastest growing lens manufacturer in Canada.

 

“We wish to thank David for his valuable contribution to the company during 10 years of dedicated service, and wish him the best in any future endeavour,” said Gerry Bottero, President, HOYA Vision Care Company (Global).

 

For his part, David Pietrobon indicated that he is “confident that the management team in place will continue to grow the HOYA brand, to the benefit of Canadian Eyecare Professionals and their patients.”

 

Hoya Vision Care Canada is currently looking for a successor to Mr. Pietrobon.

 

 

Source: HOYA Canada

 

The identification of a gene mutation in dogs with progressive retinal atrophy could lead to new therapies for blindness in humans.

 

This form of canine atrophy is the equivalent of retinitis pigmentosa in humans. Both conditions are marked by the early loss of rod photoreceptors, which are responsible for night vision.

 

In 2011, the Michigan State University research team had identified a gene mutation in papillon dogs with progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Subsequently, they conducted experiments to make sure the mutation caused the disease. They found that the mutation of the CNGB1 gene deprives the photoreceptors of a protein that they need to function properly. The gene is responsible for about 70% of observed canine PRA.

 

The research team is now working on developing a gene therapy to correct the problem. Given the similarities between human and canine retinal dystrophy, the development of therapies for dogs could provide an important foundation for preclinical assessment of therapies for humans.

Source:

 

http://cvm.msu.edu/about-the-college/news-and-events/news/cngb1-gene

 

Patients who undergo cataract surgery live longer than those who don’t.

 

According to an article written by Australian researchers and published in Ophthalmology, patients who’d had surgery had a 40% lower long-term risk of death. The study involved 354 people, 49 years of age or older, with cataract-related vision loss. Some underwent surgery, others did not. They were followed from 1992 to 2007.

 

This “suggests to ophthalmologists that correcting cataract patients’ visual impairment results in improved outcomes beyond that of the eye and vision, and has important impacts on general health,” said Jie Jin Wang, one of the lead researchers.

 

The link between cataract correction and the reduction of mortality risk, however, remains unclear. Among the factors deemed “plausible,” the researchers list better physical and emotional well-being, optimism, greater confidence associated with independent living as a result of improved vision and an improved ability to comply with prescription medications.