by Dan Roberts (Updated November 13, 2005) According to a report in the April 2003 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology (2003;121:478-482.), the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae may lead to a higher risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers found that people with AMD tend to carry higher levels of antibodies targeted against C. pneumoniae, [Read More]
Category: Research and Developments
Phototrop Improves Vision in ARMD Patients
by Dan Roberts July 13, 2005 Phototrop (a combination of compounds which affect mitochondrial lipid metabolism) is now available in the United States. The compound was reported to yield significant results in a paper published in May 2005. (“Improvement of visual functions and fundus alterations in early age-related macular degeneration treated with a combination of [Read More]
Mouse Model Developed for AMD and Stargardt's Research
by Dan Roberts March 2005 A research team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the University of Utah have developed a mouse model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt’s disease. As reported in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (March 4, 2005), [Read More]
Stem Cells Have Restored Vision
by Dan Roberts November 2004 Scientists from Harvard’s Schepens Eye Research Institute have, for the first time, successfully improved the vision of mice with transplanted stem cells. Neural stem (progenitor) cells were obtained from day-old mice and grafted into the degenerating retinas of mature mice. The transplanted cells were then seen to develop into mature [Read More]
Human Retinal Stem Cells Discovered
by Dan Roberts Research in vision restoration has taken another step forward with the discovery of human retinal stem cells that have the ability to regenerate themselves. The announcement was made in October 2004 to the National Academy of Sciences by Derek Van der Kooy from the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of [Read More]