Identifying the genetics of retinal degeneration has become especially important with progress of trials in gene therapy. Investigators have identified more than 200 retinal degeneration disease genes, but still haven’t been able to find the cause of disease in up to half of cases. Now Ocular Genomics Institute has announced that Drs. Michael Farkas, Eric [Read More]
Category: Research and Developments
What Should I Ask My Doctor?
by Dan Roberts Updated September 2018 One of the most common problems encountered by people who are first diagnosed with macular degeneration is what to ask the doctor. The news usually takes us by surprise, and we may have never even heard of the disease before. To compound our confusion, many doctors do not have [Read More]
New Anti-PDGF Aptamer Now in Trials
by Dan Roberts February 15, 2008 Ophthotech has begun the first phase of a clinical trial of E10030, an anti-platelet derived growth factor aptamer being developed for treating wet AMD. The trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of E10030 in combination with an antiangiogenic drug. The hope is that the combination will result in [Read More]
A Guide to Research in Dry AMD
Compiled by Dan Roberts (Updated 8/7/2023) What Is Geographic Atrophy? Geographic atrophy (GA) is a late stage of “dry” age-related macular degeneration (AMD) presenting with gradual deterioration of the photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layers of the retina. The main symptom is the absence of vision in one or more areas of the central [Read More]
How Many People are Legally Blind from Wet AMD?
by Dan Roberts April 2013 The latest report I have seen that provides anything close to an accurate estimate of legal blindness among people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is Wilmer Eye Institute’s “Causes and prevalence of visual impairment among adults in the United States” by Congdon N, et al (Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Apr;122(4):477-85). [Read More]