Nanoparticles called dendrimers offer a novel route into the retina for age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa treatments, according to new research. Investigators at the Mayo Clinic, Wayne State University and Johns Hopkins Medicine found that steroids attached to the dendrimers target the damage-causing cells associated with neuroinflammation, preserving vision and leaving the rest of the eye unaffected. The results appear in the January issue of Biomaterials.

The FDA has launched a monitoring program to prevent outbreaks of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS)—a rare but potentially serious complication of cataract surgery. Working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the FDA has established a registry for devices used in cataract surgery and a program for identifying and evaluating suspected device contaminants.

Elderly patients who took the carotenoid zeaxanthin showed improvements in vision, according to results from the Zeaxanthin and Visual Function Study, reported in the November 2011 issue of Optometry. The study included 60 predominantly male veterans who had mild-to-moderate AMD. They were randomized to receive 8mg zeaxanthin, 8mg zeaxanthin plus 9mg lutein, or 9mg lutein for one year. Researchers concluded that, independent of lutein, zeaxanthin contributed to improved vision in night driving, fine detail and the disappearance of blind spots.