News

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]

Drusen Fragments May Lead to Wet AMD

by Dan Roberts February 2006 Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati (University of Kentucky HealthCare physician and Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences), has announced that his lab has identified fragments of two known components of drusen that may be the cause of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progressing to the [Read More]