Macular Degeneration News and Research

Latest Macular Degeneration News and Research

Blood vessel protein reverses macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy in mice

Two major eye diseases and leading causes of blindness—age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can be reversed or even prevented by drugs that activate a protein found in blood vessel cells, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and several other institutions have announced in a new study.

17 Mar 2008

Age related macular degeneration doubles heart attack and stroke risk

The progressive eye disease, age related macular degeneration, or AMD for short, doubles the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, reveals research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

28 Feb 2008

Are cataract rates on the decline?

Should glaucoma patients seeking alternative therapies trust what they find online? Are seatbelts still important to protect eyes in auto accidents, now that most cars have airbags? What's the connection between hearing loss and one form of glaucoma? These are among the topics explored in the March 2008 issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

28 Feb 2008

New way to grow blood vessels

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a previously unknown molecular pathway in mice that spurs the growth of new blood vessels when body parts are jeopardized by poor circulation.

21 Feb 2008

A new age-related macular degeneration discovery

Scientists have won a major battle in the fight against age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, a blinding eye disease that affects millions of people.

21 Feb 2008

White seniors more likely to have signs of future eye disease than black seniors

White individuals older than 65 are more likely than black individuals to have characteristics that indicate they will develop more advanced forms of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

12 Feb 2008

Advances in age-related macular degeneration treatment

A new study of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that affects more than nine million Americans, will pave the way for the biopharmaceutical industry to develop better treatments and cures, according to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which partially funded the research.

4 Feb 2008

Johns Hopkins to participate in 1000 Genomes Project

Researchers at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM) at Johns Hopkins will join other national and international scientists in the 1000 Genomes Project, an ambitious effort that will involve sequencing the genomes of numerous people from around the world to create the most detailed and medically useful picture to date of human genetic variation.

23 Jan 2008

Smoking speeds progression of age-related macular degeneration

Smokers appear to have an increased long-term risk and greater progression of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

15 Jan 2008

Researchers associate six new genetic variants with heart disease risk factor

Using new techniques for rapidly scanning the human genome, researchers have associated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, two fats in the blood, to 18 genetic variants, six of which represent new DNA regions never before associated with the traits.

15 Jan 2008

NicOx extends ophthalmology agreement with Pfizer

NicOx S.A. has announced it has signed an extension of its March 2006 collaboration agreement, which grants Pfizer Inc the exclusive right to apply its proprietary nitric oxide-donating technology to drug discovery research in the field of ophthalmology.

9 Jan 2008

RNA interference therapy heals growth deficiency disorder in a live animal

A team of Vanderbilt researchers have demonstrated for the first time that a new type of gene therapy, called RNA interference, can heal a genetic disorder in a live animal.

20 Dec 2007

Innovative drug production project secures funding from Technology Strategy Board

PolyTherics, a biopharmaceutical spin-out company from Imperial College London and the London School of Pharmacy, has announced that it has secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board.

29 Nov 2007

New approaches to wet age-related macular degeneration treatment

Two particularly notable research presentations at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Annual Meeting described new approaches to the treatment of "wet" Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of severe vision loss in the western world in people over age 50.

13 Nov 2007

Immune cell age plays role in retinal damage in age-related macular degeneration

Studying a mouse model of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older Americans, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found age is key in determining whether damaging blood vessels will form beneath the retina and contribute to vision loss.

2 Nov 2007

Computer-based test to measure optimal visual acuity in age-related macular degeneration

A computer-based method for evaluating the eye's ability to distinguish object details and shape in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could provide a more accurate way to assess the effectiveness of eye surgery or vision rehabilitation interventions with devices and training, according to a Canadian study.

29 Oct 2007

Simple technique helps retinal patients detect vision loss quickly and cheaply

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered a simple and inexpensive way for patients with retinal and other eye disease to keep track of changes in their vision loss.

24 Oct 2007

Harvard health looks at schizophrenia and heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and it's about twice as deadly for people with schizophrenia.

24 Oct 2007

Computer simulator allows visually-impaired to drive

A team of researchers from the University of Granada , in collaboration with the University of Murcia, has developed a visual aid device which significantly improves the vision of sight impaired patients; especially those suffering from pathologies with a slow progression that can eventually lead to blindness (such as Macular Degeneration, cataracts, etc.).

17 Oct 2007

Antioxidants no use against degenerative eye disease

After analysing a range of research Australian scientists say a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals does not seem to prevent the degenerative eye disease known as age related macular degeneration (AMD).

10 Oct 2007