Scientists Scour Genome Searching for Cause of AMD

Within a decade, opticians will see an increasing number of patients dealing with the effects of macular degeneration (AMD). What's happing in the field?

"Teams of geneticists from nine countries, involving more than 100 scientists, analyzed the genes of more than 33,000 individuals in the hope of finding genetic variations responsible for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)," according to a Medical News Today post. "Their research, involving complex computational analysis of more than 12 million genetic variations across the human genome, identified 52 variations associated with the disease. By identifying these genetic variations, spread across 34 gene regions, scientists are a step closer to developing diagnostics that identify which patients are at high risk for acquiring the disease and formulating therapeutics either to prevent or treat the disease caused by these genetic variations." Read more.

NEI Expands Genetic Factors Connected to AMD

An international study of about 43,000 people has significantly expanded the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older. Supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, the findings may help improve our understanding of the biological processes that lead to AMD and identify new therapeutic targets for potential drug development. Read more.

New App for Patients with AMD

Prevent Blindness has launched a new resource, “GuideMe,” designed for those who have been diagnosed with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The intent of GuideMe is to simulate as accurately as possible a post-diagnosis consultation with a doctor or therapist. It is not, however, designed as a substitute for the advice and directions of an eye doctor. GuideMe  asks questions about the user and the user’s AMD diagnosis. It then uses the answers to create a customized guide with helpful information, tips, resources and suggested steps to take. It's compatible with a smart phone, tablet, laptop or PC.  The customized Guide can be viewed online or downloaded and printed.  If there are diagnosis changes and updates, users can return at any time and change their answers to create a new customized Guide. Additional resources may also be found at “AMD Learning Center,” found at preventblindness.org/amd.  The site provides a variety of educational tools including AMD risk factors, treatment options, an Adult Vision Risk Assessment tool and downloadable fact sheets.

Omega-3 Supplements Don't Help with Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Says NIH Study

While some research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can protect brain health, a large clinical trial by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that omega-3 supplements did not slow cognitive decline in older persons. With 4,000 patients followed over a five-year period, the study is one of the largest and longest of its kind. It was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Contrary to popular belief, we didn’t see any benefit of omega-3 supplements for stopping cognitive decline,” said Emily Chew, M.D., deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications and deputy clinical director at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of NIH. Dr. Chew leads the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), which was designed to investigate a combination of nutritional supplements for slowing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of vision loss among older Americans. That study established that daily high doses of certain antioxidants and minerals—called the AREDS formulation—can help slow the progression to advanced AMD. A later study, called AREDS2, tested the addition of omega-3 fatty acids to the AREDS formula. But the omega-3’s made no difference. That's from an NIH press release. Read more.

AIDS Patients More Likely to Get Age-Related Macular Degeneration

"Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have a four-fold increase in their risk of developing intermediate-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared to people of the same age who are not infected with HIV, according to results from the Longitudinal Study of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (LSOCA) presented at the 2015 ARVO Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The results of the study, led by the National Eye Institute-funded Studies of the Ocular Complications of AIDS Research Group, were also published online in the American Journal of Ophthalmology." That's the report from Science Digest. Read more.

Calcium Deposits Possible Source of Macular Degeneration (AMD)

"New research from scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) has found that tiny lumps of calcium phosphate may be an important triggering factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative eye disease that can cause severe vision loss and blindness," reports Medical News Today. "This is the first time these mineral deposits have been implicated in the disease, which affects more than 10 million Americans. The article appeared in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." Read more.

Study with Implantable "Telescope" Underway

Dr. David Boyer with Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group and Dr. Samuel Masket with Advanced Vision Careare participating in a nationwide, post-approval study of an implantable telescope, says a press release from the two practices. The device, developed by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz, has been approved by the FDA to improve vision for people living with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to Masket and Boyer.  The study reportedly will corroborate the safety data submitted to the FDA that led to approval and evaluate the patient care program in a commercial setting. Patients wishing to participate should contact one of the two practices. Read more.

New “Simple” Test Detects Early Only nAMD

“A simple color test that could detect the early onset of a condition which accounts for over half of visual impairment certifications in the UK is being researched by scientists at Aston University,” reports Science Daily. “Dr. Frank Eperjesi, an optometry specialist at the School of Life & Health Sciences at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, will lead the study into whether neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), a common condition affecting 321,000 people in England, Scotland and Wales, can be identified before patients begin to show symptoms of having the disease.The study could have a lasting impact, particularly as the number of cases of nAMD in the UK is set to rise by almost a third by the year 2020 as the average age of the population increases.” Read more.

Omega 3's Can Help with AMD, Says New Study

"Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School and other institutions have demonstrated for the first time that the omega (ω)-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), DHA and EPA, and their specific bioactive products derived from the cytochrome P450 (CYP) pathway, can influence choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and vascular leakage by modulating micro-environmental immune cell recruitment to the site of these lesions. Their findings will be published in PNAS Online Early Edition the week of June 16-20, 2014." That's a new post on Science Daily. Read more.

Scientists Find a Guardian Against AMD

"Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made a major breakthrough with important implications for sufferers of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause central blindness in sufferers," notes Medical News Today. "The scientists found that a component of the immune system, 'IL-18', acts as a guardian of eyesight by suppressing the production of damaging blood vessels behind the retina at the back of the eye. In addition, in pre-clinical models, it was shown that 'IL-18' can be administered in a non-invasive way, which could represent a major improvement on the current therapeutic options that are open to patients."Read more.

Supplements Lower Cataract & AMD Risk in Men

“Long-term daily multivitamin supplement use may lower cataract risk in men, according to a study of nearly 15,000 male physicians,” reports Science Daily. “Half took a common daily multivitamin, as well as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene supplements. The other half took a placebo. The researchers followed the participants to identify how many participants in each group developed new cases of two common eye diseases: cataract and age-related macular degeneration. Results showed a 9 percent decrease in risk for those that took the supplements.” Read more.

Compound Turns Cells into Photoreceptors

"Progressive degeneration of photoreceptors -- the rods and cones of the eyes -- causes blinding diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. While there are currently no available treatments to reverse this degeneration, a newly developed compound allows other cells in the eye to act like photoreceptors," notes Science Daily. "As described in a study appearing in the February 19 issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron, the compound may be a potential drug candidate for treating patients suffering from degenerative retinal disorders." Read more.

Aerobic Exercise May Slow Progression of Macular Degeneration (AMD)

"A new study suggests aerobic exercise may slow the progression of diseases that destroy the retina and eventually cause blindness. In mice exposed to harmful bright lights, the ones that had regularly run on treadmills had much better function in their retinas than mice that had not been exercising." That's the word from Medical News Today. "The researchers suggest the findings, which they report in The Journal of Neuroscience, point to exercise as a possible treatment for slowing down human eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the elderly." Read more.

Anti-VEGF Drugs Helping AMD Battle, Says Study

"A treatment introduced less than 10 years ago has already made a difference in the number of Americans losing their vision and being admitted to nursing homes, according to a new study," notes Reuters. "Two Duke University economists looked at Medicare beneficiaries with so-called 'wet' macular degeneration and found those diagnosed after the introduction of anti-VEGF drugs were less likely to go blind and less likely to move into long-term care...Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the number one cause of blindness in the U.S. affecting older adults, usually after age 65. Most AMD patients have the dry form of the disease, but about 10 percent have wet AMD, which progresses more quickly than the dry form." Read more.

AMD Awareness Month--February

February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration/Low Vision Awareness Month, according to Prevent Blindness (PB). As part of the observance, the group offers educational materials at no cost through its dedicated web pages and its toll-free number, such as:

• Living Well with Low Vision: This online resource offers information ranging from an extensive list of searchable, local low vision resource directories to an informative blog, authored by patient advocate and low vision educator Dan Roberts, M.M.E.
• AMD Awareness Makes a Difference: PB offers a free magnetic Amsler grid, used monitor a person's central version and can help identify vision abnormalities linked to AMD. To request a grid with instructions for use, go to: preventblindness.org/age-related-macular-degeneration-amd.
• Prevent Blindness AMD Learning Center: The online center  provides educational tools, such as AMD risk factors, treatment options, an Adult Vision Risk Assessment tool, fact sheets and more. 
• See Jane See: Almost two-thirds of those diagnosed with AMD are women, and that's why PB developed SeeJaneSee.org,  which includes eye health information tailored to women.

According to the 2013 "Cost of Vision Problems:  The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders in the United States," report, blindness and low vision annually costs more than $3.7 billion, with an annual per-person treatment cost of $6,680.  Almost 3 million Americans have low vision, according to the National Eye Institute.

Researchers Might Have Topical Treatment for AMD

"Researchers have identified a possible topical treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)," reports Science Daily. "The findings are the first to report successful topical use of a compound with the potential to treat both major forms of AMD, which can currently only be treated in later stages with regular injections into the eye." Read more.

VSP Launches AMD Awareness Campaign

VSP Vision Care is launching the VSP Eye on age-related macular degeneration campaign designed to increase consumer awareness about preventative care behaviors, support eye doctors with continuing education in providing essential care and providing free eyecare services to those in need. As part of the VSP Eye on Wellness program, which launched an Eye on Diabetes campaign four years ago, this campaign will highlight the importance of annual eye exams in the treatment of AMD. The program will also emphasize such preventive measures as eating nutrient-rich foods, incorporating a regular exercise routine, protecting your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, and minimizing your exposure to digital devices that emit blue light. Read more.

Compensating for AMD

"A Nobel Prize-winning chemist has discovered a way to compensate for the distorted vision experienced by people suffering from age-related macular degeneration," reports a post in the Telegram. "Prof Walter Kohn of the University of California, Santa Barbara, who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1998, has developed a device that can correct vision to normal. Using complex algorithms he can produce personalised lenses that compensate for the distortions, and is developing spectacles and contact lenses. He is also developing glasses that use tiny computers to display a corrected image from cameras on the inside." Read more.

CL Acts as a Telescope

A team of DARPA-funded researchers from the United States and Switzerland led by University of California San Diego Professor Joseph Ford reportedly has created a slim, telescopic contact lens that can switch between normal and magnified vision. With refinements, the system could offer AMD patients a relatively unobtrusive way to enhance their vision. The team reports its work today in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.Read more.

Dead Cone Cells Kill Rod Cells

“There are two major light receptor cells in the mammalian eye: rods and cones. New research by scientists from Duke University have shown that dying cone cells can trigger the demise of healthy rod cells, leading to the loss of vision,” according to Medical News Today. “The study by Kyoung-in Cho and colleagues, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, showed that when a multifunctional protein known as 'Ran-binding protein 2' (RanBP2) is removed from cone cells it causes not only those cells to die but also results in the demise of the healthy rod cells in the eye. The authors also show that the rod and cone cells undergo a cascade of distinct and unusual events as they are dying. The demise of these cells can play a part in diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).” Read more.