Director of the Stem Cell and Retinal Regeneration Program at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute (GHEI), Henry Klassen, MD, Ph.D., leads life-changing research that will affect and influence vision-saving treatments for years to come.
Watch below to hear from Dr. Klassen on his recent stem cell research:
Thanksgiving is almost here; a meal that nourishes the family bonds and traditions. It’s the one time of the year where you can guarantee your eyes will be bigger than your stomach. This meal also has another added bonus — almost every item on the Thanksgiving table is healthy for your eyesight!
Here are several of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes and their corresponding benefits to your eye health:
No Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey, roasted golden brown and stuffed with fresh vegetables and herbs. Turkey is loaded with zinc and B-vitamin niacin, which helps prevent the formation of cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, so gobble up! You are “preventing” cataracts with every bite.
These foods and other leafy greens are loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that protect the retina, which may also help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Sweet potatoes are full of Beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid and antioxidant that promotes night vision and overall good eyesight. Sweet potatoes are also loaded with vitamins C and E. Diets that are rich in these vitamins can help prevent or delay the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Cranberries contain bioflavonoids, a large class of antioxidants. Bioflavonoids are found in the pulp, skin and rinds of foods that contain vitamin C. Both flavonoids and vitamin C help protect the eyes from free radical damage caused by pollution and the body’s normal metabolic processes.
Pumpkin is one of the best sources of vitamin A, so pumpkin pie is an eye-healthy dessert. In fact, one cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Vitamin A provides nourishment and protection to the eye’s lens, cornea and macula (part of the retina), so it improves night vision.
A diet that’s full of the right nutrients is a great start to keeping your eyes healthy, but don’t forget that regular eye exams are equally important! We hope you enjoy a happy and delicious Thanksgiving with family and friends.
*For more eye healthy recipes click here EYE COOK
Two hallmark DEF-funded projects are converging, providing great hope for those facing vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The first project, headed by UC Irvine researchers Drs. Henry Klassen and Jing Yang, concentrates on putting human retinal progenitor cells into the eyes of those with RP in order to rescue damaged retinal cells. That project is currently in Phase II clinical trials, progressing toward FDA approval.
According to DEF Research Director Dr. Cristina Kenney, if the project is approved by the FDA for use with RP, the next question is: What other diseases might these retinal progenitor cells be used for? That’s where a second DEF-funded project comes in.
Kenney is working on a “personalized” cybrid cell model to screen agents that specifically target the mitochondria in AMD cells. To date, the researchers have different cybrid cell lines representing 60 different individuals with eye diseases. They are looking for novel mechanisms to protect AMD cells from dying.
Yang and Kenney are now working together to determine whether the retinal progenitor cells can be the agent that rescues AMD cybrids. “When we take the mitochondria from AMD patients and put them into healthy retinal cells, which makes cybrids, we have shown that these AMD cybrid cells will start to die. So we used that model to ask the question: How do we rescue them?” Kenney says.
Kenney and Yang developed a tissue culture model, where the retinal progenitor cells are grown in one part of a chamber, and the AMD cybrids are grown in another part of chamber, surrounded by culture medium. There is a porous separator between the two chambers through which the cells can communicate.
“We are finding that the retinal progenitor cells produce a factor that protects the AMD cybrids,” Kenney says. “This provides promising evidence that these proprietary retinal progenitor cells that are being tested for treating RP also may be helpful in AMD patients.”
“DEF has been supporting both these retina-related projects for quite some time, and it’s very exciting to see them coming together to potentially treat both RP and AMD.”
When it comes to our health, we may visit our doctors and nurses regularly to make sure our bodies are healthy. But what about our eyes? They’re not always top of mind, but they’re just as important! May is Healthy Vision Month, an observance coordinated by the National Eye Institute to motivate Americans to make their eye health a priority and educate them about steps they can take to protect their vision.
Here are a few ways you can help protect your vision
Taking care of your eyes also may benefit your overall health. People with vision problems are more likely than those with good vision to have diabetes, poor hearing, heart problems, high blood pressure, lower back pain and strokes, as well as have increased risk for falls, injury and depression.
In addition to your comprehensive dilated eye exams, visit an eye care professional if you have
For this Healthy Vision Month, take care of your eyes to make them last a lifetime.
This month of April is dedicated toWith Women’s History Month, Women’s Eye Health Month and Mother’s Day all happening this spring, we’ve got all of the women in our lives on our minds.
Did you know that blindness affects women more than men? The National Institutes of Health reports that 2/3rds of the people with blindness or visual impairments are women. Often, hormones, and especially life changes such as pregnancy and menopause, cause changes in women’s eyes. Preventing blindness and vision problems requires keeping a healthy lifestyle, avoiding certain habits, and seeing the eye doctor regularly.
Many women aren’t aware that they have a higher risk for developing eye and vision problems. In an effort to create awareness of various eye diseases that women are more prone to have than men, April has been dedicated to educating women about these diseases, along with providing resources and recommendations on the best ways to maintain excellent vision for women.
The National Eye Institute also stated that women deal with greater instances of eye disorders, in part, because they tend to live longer than men, are more likely to undergo cancer treatments which affect vision, and experience age-related hormonal changes that can affect the eyes. Women also have higher rates of eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration than men.
As we mentioned, hormones are a factor in developing eye problems, but also lifestyle, genetics, pregnancy and more contribute to the problems. Women pass through several biological and hormone changes that men do not. Pregnancy causes changes in the eyes such as dry eyes, puffiness, migraine headaches that affect vision, light sensitivity and more. If a woman is not pregnant, even taking birth control can cause hormonal changes and blood clots in some cases. If a clot happens, that can lead to strokes that affect vision, sometimes permanently.
Later in life, eye problems become more frequent in both men and women. However, women statistically have a higher chance of developing chronic conditions such as lupus, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and more. All of these conditions can affect eye health.
It’s important for women to know the risks for eye-related diseases resulting in vision impairment and take the steps to prevent eventual vision loss. Here are some ways that you can help to protect your eyes and save your eyesight:
Mothers are often charged with caring for the eye health of the entire family, but too often their own eye health is neglected. It is critical that mothers take care of their eyes and overall health so that they can be in the best condition to care for their families.
Speak to your eye care professional about your personal eye health and vision risks so you can exercise the precautions and measures to protect your eyes. Encourage the other women in your life to do so as well. Once vision is lost, it often cannot be regained and there are many steps you can take to prevent it with proper knowledge and awareness.
The most important way to prevent vision loss is to ensure you schedule regular eye exams. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear as many eye issues are painless and symptomless, and sometimes by the time you notice symptoms, vision loss is untreatable.
Click here for Eye Healthy Recipes.
Taking care of your health is critical and you may have concerns related to eye health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The offices of Ophthalmologists and Optometrists are resuming the delivery of comprehensive eye and vision care and implementing new protocols to provide care in a safe and healthy environment.
While changes vary from state-to-state as well as individual practice locations, patients should expect that their eye doctors, like all medical professionals, are adhering to federal, state and local health directives regarding infection prevention measures and implementing appropriate safety procedures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission within the office. These not only include strict protocols for cleaning and sterilization, but measures to effectively manage patient flow and encourage physical distancing. Patients should expect screenings for symptoms of COVID-19 and taking patients’ temperature upon their arrival at the facility, limiting the number of guests allowed in waiting rooms and requiring everyone to wear a facemask and/or gloves before entering the office.
Prior to the appointment, you should be asked a series of questions such as whether you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, whether you have been exposed to anyone who has an active COVID infection, and whether you have any of the typical symptoms of a COVID-19 infection including fever, cough, shortness of breath, or some impairment of your sense of taste or smell. You may also be asked about recent travel history. If there is a concern that you may have COVID-19 infection, then the appointment may be rescheduled to a later date.
Once you get to the office, you will be interviewed again to see if you have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection. You may be asked to have your temperature taken with a non-contact thermometer and to wash your hands or scrub your hands with hand sanitizer before entering the office. You may be asked not to bring any family members or assistants with you.
Every patient (and anyone accompanying the patient) is required to wear a mask, and the mask must be worn properly, covering both the nose and mouth. The mask must be worn through the entire visit, and conversations with the doctor or staff will be limited. The tests that are used to monitor glaucoma may be performed with modified protocols to minimize the time you spend at the office.
As your eye care doctors begin reopening and operations proceed under a “new normal,” your ophthalmologist and/or optometrist are working to ensure the continued safe delivery of essential eye care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To know exactly what to expect during your appointment, call your doctor’s office to find out how to best prepare for your visit.
The other day my daughter Blythe asked me which Christmas I consider to be my favorite. I had to think a minute, because as a family, the Sullivan’s have had some great ones. I was about to say the first time you and your brother Tom were old enough to really get into Santa, being absolutely sure that the fat man brought your presents right down the chimney. I was about to say that, and then I remembered.
The greatest Christmas I ever enjoyed was a ski trip in Winter Park, 
Colorado, when our children were teenagers and our friend, the marvelous Betty White, joined us for a Christmas Eve sleigh ride none of us will ever forget. The night was perfect. It had snowed earlier that day, and the air had a feeling of Christmas that you could almost taste. Oh, sure, it was cold, but we were bundled up under tons of blankets as two beautiful Clydesdale horses with bells jingling took us through the woods to a magical barn where dinner would be served and carols sung.
It was on the way home that my Christmas was made complete. We had stopped to let the horses breathe, and everyone was quiet, just allowing the feeling of togetherness envelope us in that special night. It was Betty who broke the silence.
“Tom,” she said almost to herself, “I wish I may, I wish I might, let you see the stars tonight. I feel like we could almost reach up and touch them. That’s how bright and close they are. I guess when you’re this high in the Rocky Mountains, it just feels like they’re right here.”
I could hear how much my friend wanted me to see such a heavenly display, but we both knew that could never happen. I have no complaint about being blind, no one could have a better life, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit at this holiday season that I’d love to be able to take it all in, all the special sights of Christmas.
Every day in laboratories around this country, researchers are working to solve the multiple eye diseases that make it impossible for millions of people to see the joys of Christmas. At this holiday season, my best gift would be that all of us donate to the Discovery Eye Foundation with its goal to preserve vision and eradicate blindness around the world. During this season of giving, may your hearts be light and your sight be bright.
Merry Christmas!
Tom Sullivan
I can only imagine my wife’s beautiful face. Oh sure, I’ve touched it and kissed it many times. I’ve felt the lines with the tips of my fingers, tracing our lives together, and I’ve heard her smile. I understand that’s not really seeing it. It’s not seeing her eyes as they sparkle with something funny I said; or, when she looks at me with love reserved only for those who are truly in love.
She’s often tried to explain the flash and colors of a sunset and the cotton softness of clouds as they drift across the sky. And, what about a rainbow made up of all the colors that somehow promise all of us that things in the world will get better.
How amazing it would be to see my daughter Blythe skiing her favorite Colorado Mountain trail or my son Tom riding a California wave, both so secure and happy enjoying the sports they love.
There is so much more I wish I could see, but it’s not going to happen because I am blind. I am left with only imagining what it’s like to have the gift of sight.
I can only empathize with how a person feels when their vision is threatened by glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, and the most devastating of all, macular degeneration.
At the Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF) our researchers are working every day to overcome the loss of vision and preserve your ability to treasure all the beauty that surrounds you. I’ve heard it said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. I don’t know if that’s true, but I am sure that they are the single most important sense in the group of five, and that saving vision is a cause that must be supported.
DEF is committed to that mission, and with your help, answers to all forms of eye disease will be discovered. It’s up to all of us to support the research that’s bringing us ever closer to those solutions.
If you want to help, please click the button below or download donation form to donate by mail, click here: DEF donation form
Tom Sullivan
Meet Tom Sullivan – DEF’s Ambassador of VisionOver the last 40 years, I’ve been committed to working on behalf of blind children and their families. My involvement has spanned the entire gamut of participation – from direct involvement in the classroom and counseling parents to hosting organized 10K races and celebrity golf tournaments that carried my name. In that time, my wife and I raised just over $8 million thanks to the generosity of so many people. Though my commitment to this cause has not changed, I’ve chosen to take on a new challenge that has in every way re-energized my passion.
I’ve recently become the Ambassador of Vision for the Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF), a remarkable organization that funds cutting edge research that I believe someday will eliminate many forms of blindness. The principle reason for my enthusiastic commitment is largely due to the fact that DEF directly funds researchers and avoids institutional restrictions.
As of this blog, DEF is engaged in ongoing efforts to understand 5 main eye diseases – Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration, Keratoconus, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Glaucoma. I can honestly tell you that breakthroughs are not only on the horizon, but in many cases they are imminent. Over the weeks and months I’ll be telling you much more, specifically about our individual research projects.
Any help you may choose to give on behalf of people struggling with vision loss will be deeply appreciated. I look forward to having many of you join my fight for sight. Your help can make a difference! Click here to donate.
Tom Sullivan
DEF’s Ambassador of Vision
sullivanvision.com
For the last few years Kristin McDonald, a former actress and television spokeswoman, has been applying her make-up without the aid of her eyes due to retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that reduces a person’s peripheral vision until all that is left is a pinpoint of sight.
Today, she is in a first stage study that is offering her and others hope that the injection of stem cells might be the mechanism that could slow, and maybe even halt the effects of this horrible disease. Discovery Eye Foundation helped support many of the preliminary translational studies necessary to bring the clinical trial to the FDA and get this exciting, novel approach to the patients.
I am Tom Sullivan, Ambassador of Vision for the Discovery Eye Foundation, and I was rocked when my phone rang recently and I heard the sound of my friend Kristin crying.
“What’s the matter?” I asked with real concern.
Her tears were quickly replaced by laughter, joyous laughter.
“It might be working,” she said, “I mean, the cells just might be having an impact.”
“Meaning your feeling change in your vision?” I asked.
“Tom,” she went on, “you won’t believe it. This morning when I was getting dressed and putting on my make-up, I saw my mascara in the mirror. Listen, I am not trying to tell you I can see, but since the cells were injected, I can focus on a light and even begin to notice shadows.”
“And, now,” she laughed again, “maybe I can put my mascara on straight!”
Kristin has no illusions about how far the injection of cells will take her; but, she is encouraged, as are many of the other patients who are part of Dr. Henry Klassen’s clinical study helped by DEF’s early stage funding. Maybe the old phrase really does apply – you probably know the one I mean – “hope springs eternal in the human breast.” That goes for the researchers, the patients, and all of us who treasure the gift of sight.
To read more about Kristin McDonald, visit her website at secondvision.net
Tom Sullivan
DEF’s Ambassador of Vision
sullivanvision.com
