Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving.

What is Macular Degeneration?

This is also called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as the major risk factor for this is aging. It is an eye disorder characterized by a number of conditions negatively affecting the macula.

Treatment of Submacular Hemorrhage

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Macular Degeneration Symptoms

Retinal Drusen

Macular Degeneration Treatment

What Causes Macular Degeneration?

Submacular Hemorrhage (SMH)

Latest Macular Degeneration News and Research

Early puberty and childbirth tied to accelerated aging and higher disease risk

Reproductive timing matters when it comes to aging and age-related disease. In a study now online at eLife¸ Buck researchers determine that girls who go through puberty (the onset of menstruation) before the age of 11 or women who give birth before the age of 21 have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart failure and obesity and quadruple the risk of developing severe metabolic disorders.

18 Aug 2025

New AAV gene therapy reverses age-related macular degeneration

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a progressive eye disease characterized by choroidal neovascularization and subretinal hemorrhage and exudation, leading to vision impairment. Current first-line treatment for nAMD are anti-VEGF agents, which has shown promising therapeutics outcomes.

18 Aug 2025

New bioimaging device shows promise for detecting eye and heart conditions

If you've been to a routine eye exam at the optometrist's office, chances are you've had to place your chin and forehead up close to a bioimaging device.

13 Aug 2025

Apple snail eye regeneration offers new insights into human sight restoration

The eye of the apple snail is unusually similar to a human eye-but, unlike human eyes, it can regrow itself if injured or even amputated.

6 Aug 2025

New imaging tool measures inner ear fluid to assess hearing loss

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a tool routinely used to diagnose and plan treatment for eye diseases, has now been modified to collect images of the inner ear.

23 Jul 2025

UC Davis researchers pioneer safer gene therapy for vision loss

The UC Davis Department of Ophthalmology has received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Eye Institute to explore a new way to treat vision loss using gene therapy.

22 Jul 2025

Emerging therapies reshape the future of AMD treatment

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains a leading cause of vision loss globally, with significant advancements in treatment options for both dry and wet AMD.

18 Jul 2025

Retinal organoid model advances understanding of dry age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), classified into dry and wet types, poses a significant threat to the vision of the elderly population globally.

9 Jul 2025

Glycogen metabolism in neurons emerges as key to fighting Alzheimer's

A new study from scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging has revealed a surprising player in the battle against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia: brain sugar metabolism.

1 Jul 2025

Targeting ADAM10 may offer hope for retinal disease treatment

New research has found that the endothelial cell-specific A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) regulates abnormal blood vessel growth in the damaged retina, which can cause vision loss or impairment.

25 Jun 2025

Study identifies potential way to slow or block progression of age-related macular degeneration

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies a possible way to slow or block progression of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over age 50.

24 Jun 2025

Instant coffee may damage your eyes, genetic study finds

Researchers used genomic and Mendelian randomization analyses in over 500,000 individuals to reveal a statistically significant causal link between instant coffee intake and increased risk of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). No such risk was found for ground or decaffeinated coffee.

17 Jun 2025

New biological age clock estimates how well someone is aging

A team of international researchers has developed a new biological age "clock" that estimates how well someone is aging, not just how "old" they or their various organs might be.

5 Jun 2025

FDA approves ENCELTO implant to preserve sight in people with macular telangiectasia type 2

For people diagnosed with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel)-a rare and slowly progressing retinal disease-there have been no FDA-approved (or other) treatments to slow or stop vision loss.

4 Jun 2025

Therapeutic plasma exchange combined with intravenous immunoglobin reduces biological age

A first-of-its-kind clinical trial clinical trial shows that therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) combined with intravenous immunoglobin reduced biological age on average by 2.6 years, as measured by multi-omic biomarkers.

28 May 2025

Oral 8-aminoguanine protects aging eyes and preserves vision in preclinical study

Oral 8-aminoguanine (8-AG) treatment preserved retinal structure and rod function in aged Fischer 344 rats, significantly reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings highlight the promise of 8-AG as a non-invasive intervention to slow age-related retinal degeneration.

27 May 2025