A revealing opinion poll sponsored by MD Support shows that a strong majority of people affected by AMD do not think of themselves as blind, and they do not want the term to be used to describe their visual impairment. The pronouncement is well known: “age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness [Read More]
Author: droberts
Stem Cells Promise Cure
by Dan Roberts April 20, 2006 Here is a summary of an article that appeared in Science Magazine regarding stem cell transplantation for treatment of retinal degeneration: Stem Cells Promise Cure For Vision Loss Wednesday, April 19, 2006 New Delhi: Dr Rajender Prasad Centre for Opthalmic Sciences at AIIMS has been studying the effect of stem [Read More]
Stargardt Disease Information for Patients and Their Families
by Janet S. Sunness, M.D. March 2006 Stargardt disease is the most common cause of macular degeneration and central visual loss in young people. Stargardt disease often develops in the teens or twenties, but may develop in younger children (the youngest child I have seen with it is 5) or may develop somewhat later in [Read More]
No Smoking
By Linda Kaspari Updated, March 2006 Cigarette smoking reduces levels of plasma antioxidant, a substance in the blood stream, which protects retinal cells. Smoking causes the protective layer between the retina and blood vessels to erode, resulting in poor circulation, irritation and scarring. Smoking is damaging to the blood supply. Smoking exposes the body to [Read More]
Gene Therapy Studies Successful in Slowing Neovascularization
by Dan Roberts January 2002 (Updated February 2006) Researchers at Johns Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute have been able to successfully slow blood vessel growth in laboratory mice in two different experiments involving injection of genes, and human trials have begun. In one study (Mori, K., et al., “Inhibition of Choroidal Neovascularization by Intravenous Injection of [Read More]