(Updated 3/12/22) A substance in the body called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is responsible for the growth of new blood vessels. It promotes this growth by stimulating the endothelial cells, which form the walls of the vessels and transport nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. Evidence shows that when the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) [Read More]
Tag: wet AMD
IL-18 Can Prevent Inflammation in the Retina
by Dan Roberts Updated April 2014 A new finding by researchers at Trinity College Dublin may lead to another treatment for wet AMD. Inflammation in the retina results from blood vessel development, and the natural component named IL-18 has been found to keep the process under control. By injecting the chemical into the eye, or [Read More]
siRNA Turns Off Bad Genes
by Dan Roberts (updated April 2009) A new type of anti-VEGF drug called “small interference RNA (siRNA),” is showing promise in its ability to turn off genes that cause wet AMD. A preliminary primate study in early 2004 showed that, at the highest dose used in the study siRNA (formerly called RNAi) “reduced the incidence [Read More]
CD36 Deficiency May Cause Dry AMD
by Dan Roberts February 2008 CD36 is a protein molecule (called an “integral membrane protein”) permanently attached to the surface of certain human cells. It plays a role in the inflammation process, but researchers have now discovered that a deficiency of the protein may cause the dry form of macular degeneration. Researchers reported that deficiency [Read More]
SAILOR Study Results Favorable
by Dan Roberts February 23, 2008 The final results from Cohort 1 of the Phase IIIb SAILOR study of Lucentis in patients with wet AMD were presented on February 23, 2008 at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s Angiogenesis meeting by Dr. David Boyer (Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group, Los Angeles). The final, one-year data support the [Read More]