Disqus - Latest Comments for iarons

Re: Everything You Need to Know About Gene Therapy’s Most Promising Year

Irv Arons — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 00:10:05 -0000

No, not normal vision, but probably able to distinguish vague images - the algae, injected into still alive tissue in the retina, are light "sensitive" and are "activated" by incoming images and then pass along electrical signals to the brain - you might want to read my article on "Optogenetics" listed in my post yesterday.

Re: Everything You Need to Know About Gene Therapy’s Most Promising Year

Irv Arons — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 13:00:53 -0000

Antonio, as you may recall, I've written about proposed costs for gene therapy (in the eye) and proposed methods to pay for it. This article was published in The Ophthalmologist in 2015:

What will Ophthalmic Gene Therapy and Stem Cell treatment cost and how will we and the healthcare system pay for it?

With the likelihood of a gene therapy and/or a stem cell treatment for retinal diseases to be approved for marketing within the next two to three years, it is time for the ophthalmic community – the suppliers, practitioners, patients and payers – to start thinking about how much these regenerative medicine treatments are likely to cost, and how patients and the healthcare system will pay for them.

In The Economics of Gene Therapy, I propose a pricing model for Regenerative Medicine in Ophthalmology, based on the population of patients to be treated, and suggest that an annuity program model, based on performance and duration of efficacy, could be used to pay for it.

Let the dialogue begin.

To read all about it, please follow this link: https://theophthalmologist....

I've also written about RetroSense and others involved in the optogenetics approach to restoring vision:

Optogenetics: Another Approach to Reversing Blindness

Optogenetics is the introduction of protein-based, light-activated chemicals into still functional retinal cells in the vision chain, that upon activation, send electrical signals along the optic nerve to the brain, providing rudimentary vision, that was lost with the death or damage of the photoreceptors.

This report describes the efforts of four companies and several universities, using either gene therapy or other means, to deliver light-activatable proteins or chemicals (photoswitches) to still functioning cells within the retina (ganglion and/or bipolar cells) or, in some cases, the use of light activatable implants, that will deliver light signals to the brain to provide some vision when the photoreceptors, that normally provide that function, cannot.

To read the article, appearing in the November, 2015 issue of The Ophthalmologist, please follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/Optogene...

Irv Arons

Re: Gene Editing Technique Corrects Retinitis Pigmentosa

Irv Arons — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 12:28:14 -0000

I have an article about gene editing in ophthalmology about to be published that discusses the latest news in this area, including the possibility of a human clinical trial next year. It should be online within a week or so. The title, "Gene Editing: The Next Frontier in Ophthalmology".

Re: A cure for blindness – six medical breakthroughs for 2016

Irv Arons — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 10:54:31 -0000

The London Project to Cure Blindness is quite a few years behind research already done on more than 30 patients treated with retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells produced from embryonic stem cells by Ocata Therapeutics (formerly Advanced Cell Technology) in their ongoing clinical trials. As reported in The Lancet, in 17/18 patients, vision loss was stopped and 10/18 had improved vision! (These were patients suffering half from dry age-related macular degeneration and the other half from Stargardt's macular dystrophy.) To read more, see my blog post on the clinical trial results: http://tinyurl.com/StemCell...

I have also written about the use of retinal progenitor cells (also from embryonic stem cells), that are currently being tested in clinical trials to replace/rejuvenate photoreceptors in those who have lost vision due to certain retinal diseases (retinitis pigmentosa, for one). Check out the February 2015 issue of The Ophthalmologist. (link: http://theophthalmologist.c...

Re: And now for a BBC reporter who is completely different

Irv Arons — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:52:10 -0000

Alan,

It's interesting that you wrote today about Rhod Sharp and his program on the BBC, especially the reference to Alistair Cooke.

The same thing has happened to me. A British publisher has asked me to write for his online website and decided to call my postings Inside America Forum. He then wrote up a news release wherein he described what I was going to do for his site similar to what Alistair Cooke used to do in his Letter from America.

Anyway, I got a laugh both from the news release (attached) and from your column today.

Regards,

Irv Arons

PRESS RELEASE

21 May 2009

Alistair Cooke authored letters from America, now Irv Arons will provide a US perspective for members of the Society for Clinical Ophthalmology

The Society for Clinical Ophthalmology (SCO) has joined forces with US-based Mr Irv Arons, a retired consultant to the ophthalmic and medical laser industries, to add an international dimension to SCO publications by providing its members with news and developments in and around America.

Mr Arons is to author the SCO’s “Inside America Forum”, which will feature reports on existing and evolving ophthalmic and medical laser technologies. An area of particular interest will be developments, drugs and devices in the growing area of age-related macular degeneration.

Mr Arons’ views are seen through the eyes of someone who has worked and lived in the United States, adding an interesting international perspective to the publications currently shared on The Society for Clinical Ophthalmology’s website.

Mr Arons has more than 35 years of international consultancy experience, during which he began publishing a monthly newsletter for the medical laser industry (Executive Laser Briefing). He then went on to publish his own online journal, which made information about many of the important ophthalmic and medical laser technologies (especially those developed between 1970–2003) available to historians and researchers. Regular updates will be posted in the Forum area at the clinical Ophthalmology website: http://tinyurl.com/qt3w77

About the Society for Clinical Ophthalmology
The Society for Clinical Ophthalmology is a new, communications-focussed eye care society established in 2008. It is a not-for-profit organisation motivated by the goal of eradicating publication time lags by disseminating the latest developments in the world of eye care to a wide audience of practitioners and patients in a timely and accurate manner.

The Society for Clinical Ophthalmology believes practitioners and their patients benefit from hearing about developments in their field as they emerge, thereby optimising the relevance and timeliness of the information they receive. The Society also has a strong commitment to high-quality communications and ensures that all its publications and comments posted on its website are peer reviewed before entering the public domain.

To join or find out more about the Society for Clinical Ophthalmology, visit their website at: http://www.clinical-ophthal..., or contact the Editorial Office at editorial@clinical-ophthalmology.com.

Re: Duck Duck Feedback

Irv Arons — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:47:57 -0000

I just found you, as someone used you to reach my blog.

I'm impressed. Very neat graphics and fast search engine.

I'll use you again.

Irv Arons

Re: Scammers Alive And Well In The Health Blogosphere

Irv Arons — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:11:12 -0000

Just to let you know that I've now registered in case anyone wishes to find me.

Re: Scammers Alive And Well In The Health Blogosphere

Irv Arons — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:56:37 -0000

I write an online Journal that is meant purely to provide information to both the public and medical professionals, particularly as regards age-related macular degeneration and new ophthalmic lasers for treating a variety of ophthalmic ailments.

I do not use ads on my site, and decided that more exposure was better than less, so signed up with Wellsphere. I just did a search on Wellsphere for macular degeneration, and my blog is featured, describing me as a PRO.

The way I look at it, any way that I can have more people find my blog, the better.

I am not looking to make money from it, only to be a provider of useful information.

Irv Arons

Irv Arons' Journal

Re: Bring it on … Live blogging has begun

Irv Arons — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:56:01 -0000

Bill, nicely said about John Tomase. I fully agree with you. I hope he can gain back the trust of the public and those in the football operations.

Re: Jaworski pieces on our Websites … Also he picks between Brady and Manning

Irv Arons — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:05:53 -0000

Bill, I just watched the Jaworski interview -- great piece of journalism!

I wonder what he had to say after yesterday's game, and especially Tom Brady's somewhat underwhelming performance (and the emphasis on smashmouth football in the second half).

Please follow up with him and do a second piece.

Irv Arons

Re: News flash: Bill Burt enters blog world

Irv Arons — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:24:26 -0000

Hi Burt and welcome to the blogosphere.

I just wanted to let you know that your RSS feed works and that I've added your blog to my newsreader successfully.

I look forward to your comments on the Boston sports scene.

Respectfully,

Irv Arons