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University of Kentucky researcher identifies key to macular degeneration progression
January 31, 2006Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati UK HealthCare physician and Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, announced a discovery by his research team that will impact how physicians and patients approach treatment for macular degeneration.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of permanent vision loss among the elderly in many industrialized countries, including the United States. Approximately 15 million people in the U.S. have the early "dry" form of macular degeneration. Of those patients, about ten to 20 percent go on to develop the late-stage or "wet" form of the disease. The earliest clinical indicator of macular degeneration is the presence of drusen, or extracellular deposits that accumulate beneath the retinal pigmented epithelium.
Although science has known for some time that the presence of drusen is a risk factor for the development of late-stage AMD, it has been unclear whether or how drusen can provoke the development of the wet form of AMD.
Drusen in patients with AMD contain components known as complement C3 and C5. Ambati's lab has identified that bioactive fragments of these components, known as C3a and C5a, are present in patients whose AMD progresses beyond the early dry stage and into the later wet stage.
Ambati's research concludes that the presence of the C3a and C5a components in drusen are not only markers of AMD that will develop into the late-stage form of the disease, but that they are in fact causal. The presence of these components stimulates the progression of AMD. In the future, patients with early-stage AMD may be screened to determine if these effectors exist in their drusen. If they are present, then these patients could be considered at "high risk" for progression to advanced AMD.
The next step for Ambati's research is to develop a substance that can block the effectors, halting the progression of AMD from the dry to wet stages. His lab is already testing such substances that could potentially be used in patients with "high-risk" drusen.
University of Kentucky
Drusen in patients with AMD contain components known as complement C3 and C5. Ambati's lab has identified that bioactive fragments of these components, known as C3a and C5a, are present in patients whose AMD progresses beyond the early dry stage and into the later wet stage.
Ambati's research concludes that the presence of the C3a and C5a components in drusen are not only markers of AMD that will develop into the late-stage form of the disease, but that they are in fact causal. The presence of these components stimulates the progression of AMD. In the future, patients with early-stage AMD may be screened to determine if these effectors exist in their drusen. If they are present, then these patients could be considered at "high risk" for progression to advanced AMD.
The next step for Ambati's research is to develop a substance that can block the effectors, halting the progression of AMD from the dry to wet stages. His lab is already testing such substances that could potentially be used in patients with "high-risk" drusen.
University of Kentucky
Macular Degeneration Current Events and Macular Degeneration News RSSCataract surgery does not appear associated with worsening of age-related macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration does not appear to progress at a higher rate among individuals who have had surgery to treat cataract, contrary to previous reports that treating one cause of vision loss worsens the other.
Breeding better broccoli
Carotenoids-fat-soluble plant compounds found in some vegetables-are essential to the human diet and reportedly offer important health benefits to consumers.
Cataract surgery helps AMD patients; steroid improves DME; online eye health forum
This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) reports on a national study that finds cataract surgery is likely to benefit patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at all stages of the disease, on a clinical trial showing that the steroid triamcinolone may be effective in advanced diabetic macular edema (DME) patients when standard treatment fails, and on the public's use of two Academy-sponsored online eye health forums.
1 shot of gene therapy and children with congenital blindness can now see
Born with a retinal disease that made him legally blind, and would eventually leave him totally sightless, the nine-year-old boy used to sit in the back of the classroom, relying on the large print on an electronic screen and assisted by teacher aides.
Experimental treatments restore partial vision to blind people
Two experimental treatments, a retinal prosthesis and fetal tissue transplant, restored some vision to people with blinding eye diseases. The findings, presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health, may lead to new treatments for the blind.
Researchers discover mechanism that helps humans see in bright and low light
Ever wonder how your eyes adjust during a blackout? When we go from light to near total darkness, cells in the retina must quickly adjust. Vision scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified an intricate process that allows the human eye to adapt to darkness very quickly. The same process also allows the eye to function in bright light.
Cancer drug is no different in effectiveness as gold standard treatment for macular degeneration
Investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the VA Boston Healthcare System have shown, at 6 months in a small group of patients, that there is no difference in efficacy between Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Ranibizumab (Lucentis) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Designing drugs and their antidotes together improves patient care
Imagine a surgical patient on a blood-thinning drug who starts bleeding more than expected, and an antidote that works immediately - because the blood thinner and antidote were designed to work together.
World's most sensitive astronomical camera developed at the Universite de Montreal
A team of Université de Montréal researchers, led by physics PhD student Olivier Daigle, has developed the world's most sensitive astronomical camera.
MIT retinal implant could help restore some vision
MIT engineers have designed a retinal implant for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness.
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