Aspirin and AMD

by Dan Roberts Updated 12/19/12 This is an attempt to shed some light on the issue of aspirin and macular degeneration. In the spring of 2005, a large study introduced some interesting new information about aspirin. The study was done using 39,876 women over a 10-year period in order to clarify the suspected differences between [Read More]

Degenerative Myopia

by Dan Roberts (Updated November 2015) Overview Myopia is a condition whereby images come into focus in front of the eye, resulting in a blurred image on the retina. The more severe the nearsightedness, the farther the image is from the retina, which results in more blurry vision in the distance. Myopia causes light rays [Read More]

Drusen Lasering

by Dan Roberts (Updated 11/4/06) Drusen are thought to be fatty waste products from the photoreceptor cells. They often appear on the macula (the center of the retina) in the early stages of Macular Degeneration, and they can cause gradual loss of central vision. “Hard” drusen are common in aging eyes, and do not necessarily [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]

Gene Therapy Successful in Halting CNV

by Dan Roberts Researchers have been able to halt (at least temporarily) choroidal neovascularization (CNV) with gene replacement therapy. This was done by single injections into the eyeballs of patients during a phase I clinical trial. Here is more detail, as reported on January 17, 2006 by Genetic Engineering News (www.genengnews.com): Clinical Trial on Gene [Read More]