Nanotechnology may improve gene therapy for blindness

Using nanotechnology that enabled mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, a new approach to gene therapy may improve how physicians treat inherited forms of blindness.

Obesity linked to Macular Degeneration

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A Canadian study published in the journal Science elucidates a new molecular mechanism that may cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The research at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosement, in Montreal, shows how life stressors such as obesity reprogram immune system cells and make them destructive to the eye as it ages.

Two separate eye diseases may contribute to Age-related Macular Degeneration

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Two separate eye diseases may contribute to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to a new study from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.

According to a news release, the research is the first to demonstrate that two different types of deposits in the retina may contribute to early AMD, which can progress to advanced AMD and blindness. These two diseases could be diagnosed, studied, and treated separately with appropriate early intervention to prevent vision loss and other complications.

Does Anti-VEGF Injections Increase the likelihood of Tractional Retinal Detachment in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopatht?

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Is there an increased risk for tractional retinal detachment (TRD) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) associated with intravitreal injections alone compared with other treatment regimens? That's the question that researchers at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sought an answer for. 

New potential mechanism for vision loss discovered

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Scientists from Germany have discovered that visual cells in the human retina may not simply die in some diseases, but are mechanically transported out of the retina beforehand. For their research, they used miniature human retinas produced in the laboratory, so-called organoids. 

The authors report on their research in the journal Nature Communications, which paves the way for completely new research approaches, especially in connection with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The HAWK Extension Study outcomes with Brolucizumab in nAMD similar to those seen in Pivotal Phase 3 Studies

Efficacy and safety with the intended commercial formulation of brolucizumab 6 mg in neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients was consistent with that observed in the Phase III studies. 

Best-corrected visual acuity gain and central subfield thickness reduction observed at the end of the core study were maintained to Week 24 of the extension study. There was no indication of difference in the safety profile of the brolucizumab 6 mg drug product intended for commercialization and the brolucizumab 3 mg or 6 mg drug product used in the Phase III clinical trials.

Treating Age-Related Macular Degeneration before Decline in Visual Impairment

A retrospective analysis from data in a study from Japan indicates that initiating anti-vascular endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) treatment before best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) declines and advanced lesions develop would afford better visual outcomes for eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They also found that eyes with a relatively good initial BCVA, such as < 0.3 in logMAR (Snellen 20/40), and without fibrovascular PED would achieve sustained or improved BCVA after anti-VEGF treatment within 3 years of follow-up.