A new study — published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science from University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers — suggests that linking to a fifth dimension for molecules and affected cells could help define new therapeutic strategies for those suffering from age-related macular degeneration. Christine A. Curcio, Ph.D., White-McKee Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology with UAB’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences , says these findings could open new possibilities for patients with AMD. “The retina is like the camera chip in a smartphone — it takes pictures for the brain,” she said. “Each light-sensitive photoreceptor sits in a precise location (x,y ...

A paper published today in Science Translational Medicine describes a simple, minimally invasive new tool for viewing differences in the nasal airways of cystic fibrosis patients in vivo at a cellular level. The new technique provides high-resolution images of the hair-like structures called cilia that line nasal airways as well as of the detailed features of the clearance of mucus, which is impaired in people with CF, causing significant morbidity. The imaging catheter, which is about 2 mm in diameter, uses optical coherence tomography with a resolution of about 1 micrometer — a 50th the size of a human hair — allowing ...

To get a closer look, UAB researchers and partners at Harvard Medical School developed micro- optical coherence tomography , or microOCT.