A team of researchers at University of California Davis has published the results of a Phase 1 clinical trial testing stem cells therapy for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The study which involved seven participants found that intravitreal injection of the cells was safe and all, but one participant had either stable or improved best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) six months after treatment.
There are two main types of stem cell therapy currently being developed for treatment of retinal degeneration, including for inherited retinal diseases like RP, Stargardts and Usher syndrome as well as age-related macular degeneration.
Restorative cell therapy tries to replace damaged cells (like photoreceptors) with new cells grown from stem cells. This type of cell therapy could be useful for individuals with advanced vision loss.
The UC David team is developing a second type of cell therapy is called neuroprotective therapy which takes advantage of the fact that stem cells secrete growth and survival factors that can help other cells survive. This study was promising but needs to be tested in larger Phase 2/3 clinical trials to assure safety and efficacy.
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Ray-Ban Meta has teamed up with Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and Kris Jenner to bring AI glasses from Ray-Ban Meta to center stage of the Big Game on Sunday, February 9th, airing two creative ad spots. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the campaign blends high-energy humor and cinematic flair to showcase the seamless fusion of iconic Ray-Ban style with cutting-edge AI.
Chris Hemsworth & Chris PrattKris Jenner
The star-studded cast features Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, and Kris Jenner all wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses, bringing a cheeky twist to high art and tech-savvy antics. The ad takes place in a high-end, museum-like environment filled with eccentric paintings, sculptures and furniture. As Pratt and Hemsworth explore the unconventional art collection, their curiosity grows — as does the risk of getting caught for being way out of their element.
Ray-Ban Meta’s AI-powered glasses combine iconic style and cutting-edge technology that let people stay present and connected to who and what they care about most.
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The World Council of Optometry (WCO) announces the theme for World Optometry Week 2025: Eyes to the Future: Optometry Improving Global Wellness. WCO’s World Optometry Week 2025 celebration will begin on Monday, March 17, and conclude with World Optometry Day on Sunday, March 23. This annual observance highlights optometry’s critical role in global health and wellness and the contribution of optometrists worldwide to increasing access to eye health care as a human right. With this year’s theme, WCO aims to emphasize optometry’s far-reaching impact and its vital role in shaping the future of eye care worldwide.
Optometry’s Global Impact
Optometry is far more than just vision correction; it is a key pillar in global healthcare, contributing to overall wellness, disease prevention, and the diagnosis of health conditions that affect more than just the eyes. When incorporated into health systems, optometry can act as an entry point for detecting a range of health issues. WCO is proud of the ongoing efforts by optometrists who continue to break down barriers to care by expanding access, educating patients, and advocating for better integration of eye care into health systems worldwide.
“As an optometrist and the President of WCO, I am proud to see how the care we offer our patients helps lead to increased awareness of health issues, more involvement in prevention of vision and overall health problems, along with early diagnosis, quality eyecare and integration of vision and eye health as a part of universal health care. We know that visual impairment can negatively affect our patients, so we need to collectively work with the health care team to ensure the best outcomes possible.”
Dr. Sandra Block, president, WCO
Optometry’s Future in Global Eye Care
As we look to the future, optometry’s role in global healthcare is more important than ever. The growing global population, coupled with an aging demographic and increasing urbanization, presents significant challenges for healthcare systems, particularly in delivering sustainable eye care. Optometry is uniquely positioned to lead the way in preparing for these challenges by expanding its role as a primary eyecare provider within collaborative care models.
Optometrists’ education and training continue to evolve, empowering professionals with the skills to address not just vision correction but also to investigate, monitor, and treat a wide range of eye diseases. Launched March 2024, the WCO Competency Framework for Optometry highlights the competencies required for optometry to participate most effectively in the international eye care agenda. This expanded scope is crucial in meeting the growing demand for eye care, especially in areas with limited access to eye care in community or hospital settings. By integrating optometrists into healthcare teams, countries can better prevent and treat eye diseases and address the needs of their populations.
Looking ahead, WCO calls on optometrists, healthcare leaders, and policymakers worldwide to ensure that eye care remains a priority of the global health agenda. As optometry continues to evolve, it will play a key role in shaping health systems and promoting overall wellness. Through collaboration, innovation, and continued education, the global optometry community is preparing for the future, ensuring that the eyes of tomorrow are in capable hands.
Join us in celebrating World Optometry Week 2025 with the theme “Eyes to the Future: Optometry Improving Global Wellness” and be part of a movement that is shaping the future of eye care around the world. We invite optometrists worldwide to use our multi-lingual World Optometry Week Social Media Resources to support your advocacy efforts for World Optometry Week and World Optometry Day. Additional assets will be added in the coming weeks.
Let WCO know how your organization is celebrating World Optometry Day and World Optometry Week 2025 at communications@worldoptometry.org.
CooperVision today announced a series of investments designed to reinforce its worldwide leadership in myopia management, including actions to further bolster commercial infrastructure, pipeline growth, clinical study sponsorship, and advocacy support.
“For more than a decade, CooperVision has been changing people’s lives through myopia management, spearheading how the category has evolved in partnership with top eye care professionals, educators, and industry associations. While our range of optical interventions is unrivaled, we know there is considerable work still to be done by removing barriers, accelerating clinical adoption, and affirming myopia management as standard of care for countless children.”
To provide even more dedicated support to combat the global myopia epidemic, CooperVision has elevated the myopia management group within its global commercial structure, creating the role of Vice President, Myopia Management & Cornea Care. Jennifer Lambert, who has spent the past four years as Senior Director, Global Myopia Management, has been appointed to this leadership role. The company is also adding managerial roles specific to customer engagement and new product market development, collectively designed to transform the myopia category for long-term success.
In parallel, the organization has revealed that a series of new research and development projects are underway, including investigations of novel optical designs, novel treatments, and foundational concepts relating to myopia’s onset and progression. Among these are a multi-site clinical study for a next-generation soft contact lens for myopia control. This builds on the widely prescribed MiSight® 1 day contact lens, the first and only FDA-approved soft contact lens proven to help slow the progression of myopia in children aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment.*† 1
After extensively publishing data from the world’s longest-running soft contact lens study among children with MiSight® 1 day2, led by CooperVision’s internal research team, the company is now broadening its efforts to explore the economics of myopia and its treatment. Collaborating with Manchester University’s School of Optometry and Centre for Health Economics, the company has funded a PhD position for the program, working with Professor Philip Morgan and Senior Lecturer Dr. Carole Maldonado-Codina. Preliminary reporting is anticipated to begin next year.
CooperVision has also sustained its substantial financial support for myopia management advocacy initiatives around the planet, such as its pioneering partnership with the World Council of Optometry to develop and advance myopia management as standard of care, its Myopia Collective program with the American Optometric Association, and myopia management education for the academic community via the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE). It also sponsors ongoing efforts from the International Myopia Institute, the World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
Jennifer Lambert, Vice President, Myopia Management & Cornea Care, CooperVision
“We are fortunate to act from positions of strength in our science, our portfolio, and our customer relationships—all of which point us toward continuing to extend our voice and expand our leadership. Not only are a generation of children today depending on the work we are doing in partnership with the optometry and ophthalmology professions, but also millions of children in the decades ahead whose lives may be changed for the better through our innovation and efforts,” said Lambert.
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* Compared to a single vision 1 day lens over a 3 year period.
† Regulatory indications of and access to interventions for slowing myopia progression vary by country. CooperVision does not endorse off-label prescribing.
References
[1] Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8):556-567.
2 CVI Data on File, 2024. Technical Memo – Summary of MiSight® 1 day MIST-401/402 Trials and Ongoing Internal and External Internaltional Studies.
What responsibilities do opticians have when treating childhood myopia?
“There is no truly successful communication without passion”
Most times opticians are the first and most consistent line of communication with the wearer and their parents. It is up to us to not only determine lifestyles / needs, but to guide the wearer and family towards understanding the need for these types of specialty lenses; and we must do so with passion and positivity.
The optician can use many tools supplied by the major manufacturers to make it easy to give both guidance and explanations to ease both the understanding and apprehensions of the clients.
We can use the expertise available to make it easier to develop a management program for the condition and ongoing treatment.
Clients and their families will remain loyal, and due to the ongoing contact required for the program management, you will see them back in your practice every three to six months, giving multiple opportunities to expand your client base.
Always keep in mind the five precepts of proper fitting, remembering that to be successfully worn and used, the wearer must look through the optical centers.
15mm from pupil center to top of frame (a minimum distance is required to ensure that the defocus lenselets are present entirely around the central visual area)
Eyes centered vertically and horizontally, choose correctly fitting frames and fit them so that there is minimum movement
Try for rounded corners
Try to maintain the least amount of panto and wrap tilt. The flatter the fit the more effective the action of the peripheral defocus zones
Avoid Frames over 52mm eye size to ensure cut-out of the lens blanks remembering that the lenses cannot be decentered by prism, to ensure OCs are opposite the central line of gaze
The rewards of treating childhood myopia
As ECPs and part of the circle of care team, we have the opportunity to reduce the spread of a major epidemic with potential for catastrophic effects on both the health and life enjoyment of our clients. We need to expand our scope of care and be the ones to help come up with solutions and answers, and to realize that ultimately, we will all benefit, not only from a professional and business standpoint, but also a personal satisfaction feeling that we have truly helped someone.
The Practical Professor: Optical Solutions for the Real World
I am a second generation optician and have made all aspects of opticianry and optics my life. I have over 10 years of teaching experience as a former professor in the Dispensing Opticians’ program at Seneca College and at Georgian College. I was also responsible for modernization of the optical curriculum.
I am a trainer and trainee (One never stops learning!), and I am available to share my knowledge and experience with today’s eye care professionals. As the owner of Special Eyes Optical Services, I am dedicated to supporting the optical industry. You can reach out to me at Tom@SpecialeyesOpticalServices.com.
Discover how improving access, trust, culturally safe care, and early eye examinations can help close gaps in vision care for Indigenous communities in Canada.
Inspired by Longchamp’s Roseau line, the LO800S sun frame combines a lightweight teardrop shape, transparent colourways and refined bamboo-style metal detailing.
Ray-Ban Meta expands its portfolio with new audio only AI glasses and next generation Gen 3 models, bringing AI, audio and hands free capture to iconic frames.
Costa expands its Untangled eyewear collection with new frames made from NetPlus recycled fishing nets, strengthening its commitment to ocean protection.
First Look London 2027 introduces a curated showcase of independent eyewear brands and new designers, hosted at King’s Cross Town Hall with a world class content programme.
Discover how improving access, trust, culturally safe care, and early eye examinations can help close gaps in vision care for Indigenous communities in Canada.
Inspired by Longchamp’s Roseau line, the LO800S sun frame combines a lightweight teardrop shape, transparent colourways and refined bamboo-style metal detailing.
Ray-Ban Meta expands its portfolio with new audio only AI glasses and next generation Gen 3 models, bringing AI, audio and hands free capture to iconic frames.
Costa expands its Untangled eyewear collection with new frames made from NetPlus recycled fishing nets, strengthening its commitment to ocean protection.
First Look London 2027 introduces a curated showcase of independent eyewear brands and new designers, hosted at King’s Cross Town Hall with a world class content programme.
Discover how improving access, trust, culturally safe care, and early eye examinations can help close gaps in vision care for Indigenous communities in Canada.
Inspired by Longchamp’s Roseau line, the LO800S sun frame combines a lightweight teardrop shape, transparent colourways and refined bamboo-style metal detailing.
Ray-Ban Meta expands its portfolio with new audio only AI glasses and next generation Gen 3 models, bringing AI, audio and hands free capture to iconic frames.
Costa expands its Untangled eyewear collection with new frames made from NetPlus recycled fishing nets, strengthening its commitment to ocean protection.
First Look London 2027 introduces a curated showcase of independent eyewear brands and new designers, hosted at King’s Cross Town Hall with a world class content programme.
Discover how improving access, trust, culturally safe care, and early eye examinations can help close gaps in vision care for Indigenous communities in Canada.
Inspired by Longchamp’s Roseau line, the LO800S sun frame combines a lightweight teardrop shape, transparent colourways and refined bamboo-style metal detailing.
Ray-Ban Meta expands its portfolio with new audio only AI glasses and next generation Gen 3 models, bringing AI, audio and hands free capture to iconic frames.
Costa expands its Untangled eyewear collection with new frames made from NetPlus recycled fishing nets, strengthening its commitment to ocean protection.
First Look London 2027 introduces a curated showcase of independent eyewear brands and new designers, hosted at King’s Cross Town Hall with a world class content programme.
