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What is the Latest News on Dry Macular Degeneration?

What is the Latest News on Dry Macular Degeneration?

Wet AMD

Wet AMD

Both the "wet" and "dry" forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can cause the kind of vision loss shown here. Some cases are more severe, while others are less severe. Read the latest news on dry AMD in the accompanying article.

If your eye doctor has diagnosed you with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), you have one of two types - dry or wet. The vast majority of people who have AMD have the dry type. It tends to affect vision more gradually than the wet type. Dry AMD sometimes converts to the more aggressive wet type, but certainly not always.

Currently there is no cure for either dry or wet AMD, but more research than ever is being done to find one. Some of the research has led to important news on dry macular degeneration.

First, if you have dry AMD, you should ask your eye doctor whether it might help to take a daily vitamin and mineral supplement. In a large study called AREDS, sponsored by the National Eye Institute, a specific combination of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc and copper was shown to reduce the chances of AMD progression and vision deterioration. This specific supplement is available over-the-counter; however, it is very important to ask your eye doctor whether you should take it. One reason is that the supplement only helped people whose AMD met certain criteria. Another reason is that the supplement can be harmful for people who smoke or have certain health conditions.

A follow-up study called AREDS 2 has already begun. It is testing whether a modified combination of vitamins and minerals can produce even better results. Other news on dry macular degeneration that you should be aware of pertains to a National Eye Institute study called CAPT. This study tested the theory that applying a low-intensity laser treatment to drusen - deposits under the retina associated with dry AMD - could prevent or slow down vision deterioration.

A different treatment method involving laser, called "selective RPE laser treatment" (SRT) is still being studied. In this method, a laser is used to "zap" areas of the RPE, a layer of the retina, that have been damaged by dry AMD. Researchers believe the laser will not affect the retina's other layers or cells, and the zapped areas of the RPE will renew themselves and function normally.

What Other News on Dry Macular Degeneration Can I Expect in the Future?

Many other strategies for treating dry AMD are now being tested. The following list is a sample of some new therapies under investigation.

Rheopheresis. The RHEO procedure is a type of "apheresis." In apheresis, blood is drawn from the body, certain components are filtered out, and the blood is returned to the body. Apheresis has been used to treat a variety of illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis and extremely high cholesterol. In the RHEO procedure for dry AMD, patients sit in a comfortable recliner and an IV is placed in each arm. The blood flows from one arm, through the filtration system, and back into the body through the other arm. Patients have 8 such treatments over 10-14 weeks. Each session lasts approximately 3 hours. Certain types of heavy proteins and fatty components are taken out of the blood. Scientists think this will improve blood flow in the tiny blood vessels of the eye, providing key cells with the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly and fight disease.

Fenretinide. This chemical compound is being investigated as a treatment for some cancers, but is also in the news on dry macular degeneration. For dry AMD it is being tested in pill form. It acts on Vitamin A in the body, reducing the amount of it that enters certain layers of the retina. In turn, this should reduce the amount of cell byproducts that accumulate to excess in the retinas of patients with AMD, leading to damage.

Encapsulated cell technology. This treatment is an implant that is inserted into the eye. The surgical insertion procedure is performed on an out-patient basis and takes approximately 20 minutes. The implant contains human cells that have been genetically engineered to produce a protein called CNTF. This protein is believed to protect the retina's specialized nerve cells from damage due to dry AMD. The implant regularly releases CNTF for an extended period of time, approximately 18 months.

OT-551. This potential treatment is in the form of an eyedrop. It is a molecule that helps the body protect itself against inflammation and oxidative stress. Both inflammation and oxidative stress, which can lead to the death of cells, have been linked to diseases associated with aging, including dry AMD.

Anecortave acetate. This medication is similar to but not the same as a steroid. Its ability to prevent dry AMD from progressing to wet AMD is currently being studied. It is delivered behind the eye through a curved flexible tube called a cannula. The cannula follows the outside surface of the eye without piercing it like a needle would. Once the medication is in place, the cannula is removed.

Glatiramer acetate. Currently used in multiple sclerosis, this therapy acts in the body's immune system on inflammation and nerve protection. It is delivered by injection through the skin.

As you or someone you know search the Internet for news on dry macular degeneration, you can visit www.clinicaltrials.gov for information about the studies listed here as well as others.

Hope for the future? New clinical trials.

NeoVista, Inc. is a company that is developing an intraocular epiretinal radiation device intended for the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. If you, or someone you know, are interested in participating in the CABERNET Trial, please follow the link below:

Learn more about the CABERNET Trial

 

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