by The Pulitzer
Most ophthalmologists recommend the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for macular degeneration that is age related, commonly referred to as AMD. It is unusual for doctor’s to recommend nutritional supplements of any kind, unless a person has an outright deficiency, but AMD is a unique condition.
There are no effective treatments for one type of AMD (dry), but there are some partially effective treatments for wet AMD. Together, these two are the major causes of blindness in the elderly. The wet form is the most severe, if not treated early.
In wet AMD, blood vessels grow up and behind the retina, an area responsible for gathering light and transmitting signals to the brain, resulting in sight. The blood vessels often rupture and leak blood and protein below the macula, a very sensitive area within the retina.
Eventually, bleeding, leaking and scarring causes irreversible damage to the light receptors (rods and cones). Rapid vision loss is experienced if it is left untreated. Laser treatment and drugs that inhibit blood vessel growth are usually recommended.
Generally, doctors recommend lutein and zeaxanthin for macular degeneration that is of the dry type. Dry AMD is much more common than wet. It is caused by a build up of yellow deposits called drusen on the retina.
In nature lutein and zeaxanthin are pigments or colors. They are normally present in the retina, with zeaxanthin being concentrated in the macula and lutein more highly concentrated in the periphery of the retina. There roles within the eye are not well understood, but they seem to help reduce or prevent the build up of drusen.
Drusen is similar in composition to the deposits that are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and the plaque that is present in atherosclerosis. People with either of those two conditions have a higher risk of developing dry AMD.
Some doctors recommend taking lutein and zeaxanthin for macular degeneration prevention, particularly to their patients that have a family history of the disease. But, since the drusen are similar to the deposits that cause Alzheimer’s and heart disease, other antioxidants may be beneficial, as well.
Curcumin, an antioxidant present in the spice turmeric, is currently being studied for its benefit in Alzheimer’s disease. Not only does it prevent the accumulation of the plaque, it breaks it up. It might be able to break up the drusen in AMD, too.
One study indicates that the ideal combination of nutrients is omega 3 fatty acids, beta carotene, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin for macular degeneration. Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, are the most abundant fatty acids present in the retina. Beta-carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A, which is essential for good vision. Vitamin E is well-known for its antioxidant activity.
Prevention is worth a pound of cure, they say. In order to prevent AMD, people should lower their total fat intake, and increase their nutrient intake. This may help reduce the risk of many other diseases, as well. Taking zeaxanthin for macular degeneration prevention is a good idea. Taking a multi-nutritional supplement that contains it, is a great one.
Valerie Rosenbaum researches omega 3 fish oil supplements, anti aging supplements and natural skincare products. Through her research she has discovered the best anti aging supplement, in both quality and value, available today.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Advance Cell Technology's CEO says Markets Are Just Starting to Appreciate the Significance of Thei
by Advance Cell Technology
The excitement around ACTC comes after a recent series of key positive announcements including the fact that the FDA granted orphan drug status to the micro-cap's patented embryonic stem cell derived treatment for specific forms of Macular Degeneration and blindness (Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy and Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration). The eye conditions destroy the pigmented layer of retina (retinal pigment epithelium) which is the pigmented cell layer just outside the neurosensory retina that nourishes retinal visual cells.
The condition destroys the pigmented layer of retina (retinal pigment epithelium) which is the pigmented cell layer just outside the neurosensory retina that nourishes retinal visual cells. Advanced Cell Technology has shown success introducing the embryonic stem cell derived RPE cells into the eye in animal models and this resulted in 100% improvement with no side effects for more than 220 days. Human clinical trials are expected to start in the first quarter of 2011, and can potentially take only a few weeks to show positive results.
Advanced Cell Technology has shown success introducing the embryonic stem cell derived RPE cells into the eye in animal models and this resulted in 100% improvement with no side effects for more than 220 days. Human clinical trials are expected to start in the first quarter of 2011, and could potentially take only a few weeks to show positive results according to some analysts.
In addition, for only the second time in history (following Geron's therapy for spinal cord injury), the FDA granted approval for clinical trials for a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells.
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC tells BioMedReports that ACTC plans on building upon their orphan drug status and accelerating clinical testing. In addition, they hope to continue showing promising advancements in other forms of regenerative medicine which the company is developing -- most notably its Myoblast program for the treatment of heart failure. The Myoblast program (part of the company's 2007 acquisition of Mytogen, Inc.) has successfully completed Phase I human clinical trials and the FDA has finished reviewing the data, thus allowing Advanced Cell Technology to proceed with a Phase II human clinical trial (in approximately 160 patients) early next year.
BioMedReports: It appears that suddenly your company has a lot of attention given your news developments. What do you make of all the activity in your stock during recent days?
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: The market is starting to appreciate the significance of the FDA approval of our particular therapy. I think they are now beginning to understand the strategy of having filed for an orphan indication designation for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD is one of the most common forms of juvenile macular degeneration in the world) and they now realize that that represents the first wave, with potentially huge commercial opportunities in Dry AMD (Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration reportedly afflicts more than 30 million people worldwide, including an estimated 13-15 million Americans). Both indications do not have viable therapies and so to the extent that our program can make an impact, it's going to not only help a very large patient population, it -- as well as any other therapies that are approved -- will help validate a very large technology.
BioMedReports: Can you help us digest or simplify what some of those implications are?
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: I can certainly try. Right now, Genentech has a drug on the market for Wet AMD [Note: the FDA approved Lucentis in 2006 after a 6-month priority review] and that patient population is substantially less than the Dry AMD component. Their procedure is to apply a needle into the eye every two to three months with their therapy and for that they get some $2500, plus or minus, for each injection. In our particular situation, we are inserting a needle into the eye- which is something that is done all the time, by the way, this isn't something that's foreign to the practitioner that does the application -- but our application takes place only once or possibly twice over the life of the patient. It is our expectation that the therapy which we'll apply will have an impact on either slowing down or arresting the progression of the disease. We've seen that in our animal models. There have been some very dramatic results when we've applied it into animals and we are extremely hopeful that we will see the same types of results when we apply it into humans.
The problem has been that this technology is totally new to the world of medicine. It is an embryonic stem cell derived therapy. It turns out that our cells have been derived utilizing what we call a blastomere technology which means that we have been able to develop those stem cells without any embryo destruction, which somewhat mitigates the issues that have been in the media.
So, we take our particular stem cell therapy -- and remember that the stem cells are converted into a single cell type so there's really no actual stem cells into the therapy that we are applying only a certain cell-type and in this particular case, it's what they call RPE (retinal pigment epithelial) cells. That RPE layer is in the eye between the photoreceptor and the Bruch's membrane. It protects that photoreceptor -- which gives us the ability to see -- and it also nourishes it. With deterioration, all sorts of different diseases occur. One of which is Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy and another of which is Dry AMD. Now, there are certainly different characteristics to those, but to the extent that you can replenish that RPE layer with new, healthy, viable cells you have the opportunity to dramatically impact the deterioration that is occurring within the photoreceptor.
That's a layman's description of what we're doing with respect to that therapy, but more importantly the market implication is such that if you have in excess of ten million patients currently suffering from that disease; which is age related and as we know the baby boomers are getting older. Unfortunately for those of us that are getting into that post fifty-five or sixty year-old age range, those individuals are prime candidates for this disease. That market is fairly significant. There is an opportunity of tremendous magnitude for a company like ours.
BioMedReports: Let's talk about the structure of the company for a bit. There have been some concerns that there are a lot of shares out there and that a company that is set up in this way could suddenly announce something like a reverse-split during a run-up in price like this one. What are your comments in regard to that as far as ACTC goes?
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: I'm an investment banker and I can tell you that it has been my experience that reverse splits for the sake of reverse splits are very problematic. There has to be a rationale behind why someone would do such a thing and it has to be done around some sort of event that is accretive to shareholders and makes logical sense for all the stakeholders. I'm not inclined at all to recommend a reverse split unless that opportunity presented itself. If it does, based upon our charter, we would then have to go to the shareholders for their approval. In that way they would have an opportunity to understand our rationale and determine whether that makes sense for the majority of them. I think that's about all I can say about that subject at this stage.
BioMedReports: Can you talk about any of the upcoming milestones for the company? Some think that is part of the reason for this run-up, that there are some events worth looking forward to on the horizon.
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: I think we've alluded to some things a couple of times either on blogs or in conferences, and I can start with the approval of our IND for Stargardt's Disease which we will be seeing some time in the first half of the coming year. (That will mark) us going into the clinic. And we have already alluded to the fact that we will go into multiple sites, not just one particular site, for the reason that we have filed for Phase I/Phase II. For those who are not familiar with that, Phase I really focuses on safety. That's going to be a very, very important piece, not just because of the safety, but because it will ensure for the FDA that this cell type can be safe in humans.
You know the first one is always the toughest one, so we've designed the trial to be very, very slow in its evolution. We have a dosage escalation schedule whereby we're only inserting a minimal amount of cells at the outset per patient. Then we will increase that with ensuing patients and we'll pause to allow the FDA to review the results of that so that they can feel comfortable with the safety issues related to the fact that the cells go where they are supposed to go and do what they're supposed to do and that they don't cause any side effects, or tumors or anything else that has been ballyhooed around. By the way, we have never, in any of our studies, ever seen that.
So, I can't speak for others, but for us; our patented differentiation processes are such that our cells are terminally and totally differentiated into the cell type that we're dealing with. Once we do that, then we'll move quickly into efficacy and that tells us, of course, "does it work?" And that's why we're starting out with multiple sites. Right now, I'm in the process of finalizing those sites and developing a relationship with the primary investigator -- the surgeon at each of the sites. I'm working with the internal review boards to gain approval on the protocols on any specific issues that they may have relative to their particular situation and then we will initiate those trials when all of that is completed.
The second major milestone is that we've filed a second IND. That one is for the Dry AMD and we anticipate that it will take much less time for the FDA to evaluate that, versus the time they took to evaluate the first one. We anticipate that sometime in the first quarter (of 2011) there is a very reasonable chance that we will see approval for that IND -- at which time we will then initiate trials for that program as well. Just so you know, it's the same cells. So we're really just taking the same cell-type and treating a different disease-type. So that's why we're relatively bullish on that particular program.
A third area that we've announced is that as big as the market is, and the opportunity is here in the United States, the European community offers a similar opportunity. And with the E.U. controlling the regulatory perspective for the various countries on the continent, we will be looking very hard at the opportunity to take both our Stargardt's and Dry AMD programs over there. I've been spending some time over there trying to ascertain what the best way is to do it and where the best places are to initiate the trials as well as learning a little bit about the process of how to work through the regulatory situations over there. We should be in position to make an announcement about that in the first half of next year.
We've also mentioned another disease condition called our Myoblast or heart program. It's an adult stem cell -- meaning it's the patient's own cells -- in this particular instance. We extract out of the thigh in a biopsy and then we re-place it into the heart with a catheter system. Basically, it goes over the dead heart tissue from a heart attack that a patient has had. And what those cells do, those myoblast cells, is they integrate with the good cardio myocyte cells -- the heart cells -- and help those cells pump the blood in and out of the heart. That's important because when you have a heart attack, part of your heart muscle is killed or dead, and unlike other parts of the body the muscle doesn't regenerate itself and so the remaining muscle has to work harder and the heart becomes a little weaker. Because of the strain on the muscle it gets, sometimes, enlarged. The walls get thinner and that's when you start seeing heart failure. What this does is that it helps mitigate that and the patient can start feeling better. That's really where the FDA is focused on, is the quality of life of the patient. Most of the patients that we're dealing with are in advanced age heart failure. So that is another disease condition. We have gotten approval from the FDA to move out of the Phase I, where we did four trials, and we're moving into Phase II. I've made an announcement that we intend to do that in the first half of next year. So again, that is another program that you should be hearing some things from us about during the first half of next year.
So just in the first half of the coming year we have some fairly significant milestones that we have before us and then there are a couple that we're working on now that we haven't announced yet.
The excitement around ACTC comes after a recent series of key positive announcements including the fact that the FDA granted orphan drug status to the micro-cap's patented embryonic stem cell derived treatment for specific forms of Macular Degeneration and blindness (Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy and Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration). The eye conditions destroy the pigmented layer of retina (retinal pigment epithelium) which is the pigmented cell layer just outside the neurosensory retina that nourishes retinal visual cells.
The condition destroys the pigmented layer of retina (retinal pigment epithelium) which is the pigmented cell layer just outside the neurosensory retina that nourishes retinal visual cells. Advanced Cell Technology has shown success introducing the embryonic stem cell derived RPE cells into the eye in animal models and this resulted in 100% improvement with no side effects for more than 220 days. Human clinical trials are expected to start in the first quarter of 2011, and can potentially take only a few weeks to show positive results.
Advanced Cell Technology has shown success introducing the embryonic stem cell derived RPE cells into the eye in animal models and this resulted in 100% improvement with no side effects for more than 220 days. Human clinical trials are expected to start in the first quarter of 2011, and could potentially take only a few weeks to show positive results according to some analysts.
In addition, for only the second time in history (following Geron's therapy for spinal cord injury), the FDA granted approval for clinical trials for a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells.
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC tells BioMedReports that ACTC plans on building upon their orphan drug status and accelerating clinical testing. In addition, they hope to continue showing promising advancements in other forms of regenerative medicine which the company is developing -- most notably its Myoblast program for the treatment of heart failure. The Myoblast program (part of the company's 2007 acquisition of Mytogen, Inc.) has successfully completed Phase I human clinical trials and the FDA has finished reviewing the data, thus allowing Advanced Cell Technology to proceed with a Phase II human clinical trial (in approximately 160 patients) early next year.
BioMedReports: It appears that suddenly your company has a lot of attention given your news developments. What do you make of all the activity in your stock during recent days?
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: The market is starting to appreciate the significance of the FDA approval of our particular therapy. I think they are now beginning to understand the strategy of having filed for an orphan indication designation for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD is one of the most common forms of juvenile macular degeneration in the world) and they now realize that that represents the first wave, with potentially huge commercial opportunities in Dry AMD (Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration reportedly afflicts more than 30 million people worldwide, including an estimated 13-15 million Americans). Both indications do not have viable therapies and so to the extent that our program can make an impact, it's going to not only help a very large patient population, it -- as well as any other therapies that are approved -- will help validate a very large technology.
BioMedReports: Can you help us digest or simplify what some of those implications are?
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: I can certainly try. Right now, Genentech has a drug on the market for Wet AMD [Note: the FDA approved Lucentis in 2006 after a 6-month priority review] and that patient population is substantially less than the Dry AMD component. Their procedure is to apply a needle into the eye every two to three months with their therapy and for that they get some $2500, plus or minus, for each injection. In our particular situation, we are inserting a needle into the eye- which is something that is done all the time, by the way, this isn't something that's foreign to the practitioner that does the application -- but our application takes place only once or possibly twice over the life of the patient. It is our expectation that the therapy which we'll apply will have an impact on either slowing down or arresting the progression of the disease. We've seen that in our animal models. There have been some very dramatic results when we've applied it into animals and we are extremely hopeful that we will see the same types of results when we apply it into humans.
The problem has been that this technology is totally new to the world of medicine. It is an embryonic stem cell derived therapy. It turns out that our cells have been derived utilizing what we call a blastomere technology which means that we have been able to develop those stem cells without any embryo destruction, which somewhat mitigates the issues that have been in the media.
So, we take our particular stem cell therapy -- and remember that the stem cells are converted into a single cell type so there's really no actual stem cells into the therapy that we are applying only a certain cell-type and in this particular case, it's what they call RPE (retinal pigment epithelial) cells. That RPE layer is in the eye between the photoreceptor and the Bruch's membrane. It protects that photoreceptor -- which gives us the ability to see -- and it also nourishes it. With deterioration, all sorts of different diseases occur. One of which is Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy and another of which is Dry AMD. Now, there are certainly different characteristics to those, but to the extent that you can replenish that RPE layer with new, healthy, viable cells you have the opportunity to dramatically impact the deterioration that is occurring within the photoreceptor.
That's a layman's description of what we're doing with respect to that therapy, but more importantly the market implication is such that if you have in excess of ten million patients currently suffering from that disease; which is age related and as we know the baby boomers are getting older. Unfortunately for those of us that are getting into that post fifty-five or sixty year-old age range, those individuals are prime candidates for this disease. That market is fairly significant. There is an opportunity of tremendous magnitude for a company like ours.
BioMedReports: Let's talk about the structure of the company for a bit. There have been some concerns that there are a lot of shares out there and that a company that is set up in this way could suddenly announce something like a reverse-split during a run-up in price like this one. What are your comments in regard to that as far as ACTC goes?
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: I'm an investment banker and I can tell you that it has been my experience that reverse splits for the sake of reverse splits are very problematic. There has to be a rationale behind why someone would do such a thing and it has to be done around some sort of event that is accretive to shareholders and makes logical sense for all the stakeholders. I'm not inclined at all to recommend a reverse split unless that opportunity presented itself. If it does, based upon our charter, we would then have to go to the shareholders for their approval. In that way they would have an opportunity to understand our rationale and determine whether that makes sense for the majority of them. I think that's about all I can say about that subject at this stage.
BioMedReports: Can you talk about any of the upcoming milestones for the company? Some think that is part of the reason for this run-up, that there are some events worth looking forward to on the horizon.
William M. Caldwell, Chairman and CEO of ACTC: I think we've alluded to some things a couple of times either on blogs or in conferences, and I can start with the approval of our IND for Stargardt's Disease which we will be seeing some time in the first half of the coming year. (That will mark) us going into the clinic. And we have already alluded to the fact that we will go into multiple sites, not just one particular site, for the reason that we have filed for Phase I/Phase II. For those who are not familiar with that, Phase I really focuses on safety. That's going to be a very, very important piece, not just because of the safety, but because it will ensure for the FDA that this cell type can be safe in humans.
You know the first one is always the toughest one, so we've designed the trial to be very, very slow in its evolution. We have a dosage escalation schedule whereby we're only inserting a minimal amount of cells at the outset per patient. Then we will increase that with ensuing patients and we'll pause to allow the FDA to review the results of that so that they can feel comfortable with the safety issues related to the fact that the cells go where they are supposed to go and do what they're supposed to do and that they don't cause any side effects, or tumors or anything else that has been ballyhooed around. By the way, we have never, in any of our studies, ever seen that.
So, I can't speak for others, but for us; our patented differentiation processes are such that our cells are terminally and totally differentiated into the cell type that we're dealing with. Once we do that, then we'll move quickly into efficacy and that tells us, of course, "does it work?" And that's why we're starting out with multiple sites. Right now, I'm in the process of finalizing those sites and developing a relationship with the primary investigator -- the surgeon at each of the sites. I'm working with the internal review boards to gain approval on the protocols on any specific issues that they may have relative to their particular situation and then we will initiate those trials when all of that is completed.
The second major milestone is that we've filed a second IND. That one is for the Dry AMD and we anticipate that it will take much less time for the FDA to evaluate that, versus the time they took to evaluate the first one. We anticipate that sometime in the first quarter (of 2011) there is a very reasonable chance that we will see approval for that IND -- at which time we will then initiate trials for that program as well. Just so you know, it's the same cells. So we're really just taking the same cell-type and treating a different disease-type. So that's why we're relatively bullish on that particular program.
A third area that we've announced is that as big as the market is, and the opportunity is here in the United States, the European community offers a similar opportunity. And with the E.U. controlling the regulatory perspective for the various countries on the continent, we will be looking very hard at the opportunity to take both our Stargardt's and Dry AMD programs over there. I've been spending some time over there trying to ascertain what the best way is to do it and where the best places are to initiate the trials as well as learning a little bit about the process of how to work through the regulatory situations over there. We should be in position to make an announcement about that in the first half of next year.
We've also mentioned another disease condition called our Myoblast or heart program. It's an adult stem cell -- meaning it's the patient's own cells -- in this particular instance. We extract out of the thigh in a biopsy and then we re-place it into the heart with a catheter system. Basically, it goes over the dead heart tissue from a heart attack that a patient has had. And what those cells do, those myoblast cells, is they integrate with the good cardio myocyte cells -- the heart cells -- and help those cells pump the blood in and out of the heart. That's important because when you have a heart attack, part of your heart muscle is killed or dead, and unlike other parts of the body the muscle doesn't regenerate itself and so the remaining muscle has to work harder and the heart becomes a little weaker. Because of the strain on the muscle it gets, sometimes, enlarged. The walls get thinner and that's when you start seeing heart failure. What this does is that it helps mitigate that and the patient can start feeling better. That's really where the FDA is focused on, is the quality of life of the patient. Most of the patients that we're dealing with are in advanced age heart failure. So that is another disease condition. We have gotten approval from the FDA to move out of the Phase I, where we did four trials, and we're moving into Phase II. I've made an announcement that we intend to do that in the first half of next year. So again, that is another program that you should be hearing some things from us about during the first half of next year.
So just in the first half of the coming year we have some fairly significant milestones that we have before us and then there are a couple that we're working on now that we haven't announced yet.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Vitamin C For Macular Degeneration
by Admin
Some of the vitamins that can help when it comes to protecting eyesight and reducing or preventing age macular degeneration includes Vitamin C, E, Thiamine, Riboflavin, B-6, B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Zinc, L-Taurine, Manganese, Copper, Selenium, Calcium, L-Glutathione, Rutin, Lycopene and Lutein. All of these vitamins have properties that help to increase eye health and increase the body’s ability to reduce the effects of macular degeneration for example these vitamins may help in the reduction of blood vessels or the reduction of Drusen that buildup between the macula and the retina. Improving your eyesight can also help to reduce symptoms in the beginning stages of macular degeneration.
Some of the vitamins that can help when it comes to protecting eyesight and reducing or preventing age macular degeneration includes Vitamin C, E, Thiamine, Riboflavin, B-6, B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Zinc, L-Taurine, Manganese, Copper, Selenium, Calcium, L-Glutathione, Rutin, Lycopene and Lutein. All of these vitamins have properties that help to increase eye health and increase the body’s ability to reduce the effects of macular degeneration for example these vitamins may help in the reduction of blood vessels or the reduction of Drusen that buildup between the macula and the retina. Improving your eyesight can also help to reduce symptoms in the beginning stages of macular degeneration.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Retinal Disease Treatments Double Over 10 Years
by:Jen Blackstock
When most people think of diabetes, the first thing to come to mind is rarely blindness, yet blindness is a very real complication of diabetes: Diabetes is actually the number one cause of new blindness in the United States.
Diabetic retinopathy happens when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, which therefore stop feeding the retina properly, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. Symptoms can include blurry or double vision; rings, flashing lights or blank spots; dark or floating spots; pain or pressure in one or both of your eyes; and trouble seeing things out of the corners of your eyes. Forty percent of people with diabetes have some form of diabetic retinopathy.
With the rise in the number of people with diabetes and the aging American population, it is no surprise that the number of older Americans undergoing treatment for retinal conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy increased 192 percent between 1997 and 2007. Additionally, there has been a significant shift in the types of procedures being performed, a new study has found.
Age-related macular degeneration is a progressive disease of the retina that causes the loss of central vision. Both age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss and blindness.
The study analyzed Medicare data from 1997 to 2007 and found that the number of retinal procedures increased 192 percent during that period. The largest year-to-year increase (20 percent) occurred between 2006 and 2007, according to the study published in the October issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology.
In terms of actual procedures performed, the largest increase was in treatments for neovascular, or "wet," AMD. New treatments for this condition include intravitreal therapy, or drug injections directly into the eye, of antibodies that block the formation of new blood vessels. From 1997 to 2001, only 5,000 of these procedures were performed each year. By 2007, the number had jumped to 812,413. Also increasing is the use of vitrectomy, a surgery to remove the gel inside the eye in order to treat retinal detachment -- increased 72 percent between 1997 and 2007.
"Retinal disease is highly prevalent among older individuals, and both age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy account for more than half the irreversible blindness in older Americans. The prevalence of both macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy increases with age, and the number of Americans affected by these conditions is expected to increase substantially as the number of Americans older than 65 years doubles from 2010 to 2040," says study author Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, of Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
With the rise of cases of diabetes and the aging of the baby boomer population in the United States, eye care and blindness prevention is becoming increasingly important within the medical community.
When most people think of diabetes, the first thing to come to mind is rarely blindness, yet blindness is a very real complication of diabetes: Diabetes is actually the number one cause of new blindness in the United States.
Diabetic retinopathy happens when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, which therefore stop feeding the retina properly, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. Symptoms can include blurry or double vision; rings, flashing lights or blank spots; dark or floating spots; pain or pressure in one or both of your eyes; and trouble seeing things out of the corners of your eyes. Forty percent of people with diabetes have some form of diabetic retinopathy.
With the rise in the number of people with diabetes and the aging American population, it is no surprise that the number of older Americans undergoing treatment for retinal conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy increased 192 percent between 1997 and 2007. Additionally, there has been a significant shift in the types of procedures being performed, a new study has found.
Age-related macular degeneration is a progressive disease of the retina that causes the loss of central vision. Both age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss and blindness.
The study analyzed Medicare data from 1997 to 2007 and found that the number of retinal procedures increased 192 percent during that period. The largest year-to-year increase (20 percent) occurred between 2006 and 2007, according to the study published in the October issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology.
In terms of actual procedures performed, the largest increase was in treatments for neovascular, or "wet," AMD. New treatments for this condition include intravitreal therapy, or drug injections directly into the eye, of antibodies that block the formation of new blood vessels. From 1997 to 2001, only 5,000 of these procedures were performed each year. By 2007, the number had jumped to 812,413. Also increasing is the use of vitrectomy, a surgery to remove the gel inside the eye in order to treat retinal detachment -- increased 72 percent between 1997 and 2007.
"Retinal disease is highly prevalent among older individuals, and both age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy account for more than half the irreversible blindness in older Americans. The prevalence of both macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy increases with age, and the number of Americans affected by these conditions is expected to increase substantially as the number of Americans older than 65 years doubles from 2010 to 2040," says study author Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, of Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
With the rise of cases of diabetes and the aging of the baby boomer population in the United States, eye care and blindness prevention is becoming increasingly important within the medical community.
Monday, November 22, 2010
New Techology Detects Retinal Disease
by Martha L. Hernández
McALLEN — For years, the only way for doctors into the back of the eye for a retina inspection involved special eye drops, which dilated the patient’s pupils and required the wearing of dark glasses for hours after the exam.
Now, scientists have developed the Optomap Retinal Exam, which eliminates the need for drop. Patients only see a quick, green flash of light.
“This test is a non-invasive way of doing it. We don’t put drops in your eyes, we just take a picture of the back of your eye and under 25 seconds (later), it gives us a 3D image. We can review the image with you on the computer (immediately after),” said Dr. Fiona Kolia, a therapeutic optometrist at Astoria Vision Source.
“We can look at it with different filters. This test is very important because it allows us to tell you about the health not only of your eye — where we can detect (diseases like) glaucoma (or) macular degeneration, any holes or tears, anything that is in the eye that shouldn’t be there — it also tells us about the health of your body,” Kolia said.
The new technology has detected other medical conditions in people seeking glasses or contacts.
“For example, a young person, healthy, walked in and he had a hemorrhage in his eye that is caused by high blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a silent killer, you refer them (to their family doctor) and they can start to get treated and take care of themselves,” Kolia said. Undetected high blood pressure can lead to strokes and other serious complications, Kolia noted.
“Sometimes we are the first to detect if the people have signs of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, any arteriosclerosis in the eye and we refer them to their family physician” Kolia said.
Kolia is the only optometrist south of Corpus Christi that has an Optomap.
“Sometimes people just don’t see well and they might think it’s just their glasses” Kolia said. “There was a gentleman that had a macular degeneration that needed to be treated … but sometime in younger people (that) kind of problem happens due to high stress and the macular area (center of the eye) can become swollen and you can lose your central vision (if you do not treat it),” Kolia said.
“What we hope to do is be able to screen a lot of people, I think that in this area it is very important for diabetics. We want to it as a tool and make people aware that an eye exam not only involves getting you a better pair of glasses, it involves looking at the interior structures of the eye and behind the eye,” which can aid in the detection of numerous health issues, Kolia said.
Insurance companies do not typically cover treatment with an Optomap. If there is a definite medical diagnosis it may be billed as a retinal photo in some instances with some insurance plans. Patients without insurance pay $37 for the test.
“In a lot of people who are nearsighted, the eyeball elongates, so it is important to look behind the eye because they can develop a retinal detachment,” Kolia said.
Kolia said the Optomap likely would be added to the regular battery of tests conducted by optometrists and ophthalmologists during routine eye exams as the technology comes into more widespread use.
McALLEN — For years, the only way for doctors into the back of the eye for a retina inspection involved special eye drops, which dilated the patient’s pupils and required the wearing of dark glasses for hours after the exam.
Now, scientists have developed the Optomap Retinal Exam, which eliminates the need for drop. Patients only see a quick, green flash of light.
“This test is a non-invasive way of doing it. We don’t put drops in your eyes, we just take a picture of the back of your eye and under 25 seconds (later), it gives us a 3D image. We can review the image with you on the computer (immediately after),” said Dr. Fiona Kolia, a therapeutic optometrist at Astoria Vision Source.
“We can look at it with different filters. This test is very important because it allows us to tell you about the health not only of your eye — where we can detect (diseases like) glaucoma (or) macular degeneration, any holes or tears, anything that is in the eye that shouldn’t be there — it also tells us about the health of your body,” Kolia said.
The new technology has detected other medical conditions in people seeking glasses or contacts.
“For example, a young person, healthy, walked in and he had a hemorrhage in his eye that is caused by high blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a silent killer, you refer them (to their family doctor) and they can start to get treated and take care of themselves,” Kolia said. Undetected high blood pressure can lead to strokes and other serious complications, Kolia noted.
“Sometimes we are the first to detect if the people have signs of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, any arteriosclerosis in the eye and we refer them to their family physician” Kolia said.
Kolia is the only optometrist south of Corpus Christi that has an Optomap.
“Sometimes people just don’t see well and they might think it’s just their glasses” Kolia said. “There was a gentleman that had a macular degeneration that needed to be treated … but sometime in younger people (that) kind of problem happens due to high stress and the macular area (center of the eye) can become swollen and you can lose your central vision (if you do not treat it),” Kolia said.
“What we hope to do is be able to screen a lot of people, I think that in this area it is very important for diabetics. We want to it as a tool and make people aware that an eye exam not only involves getting you a better pair of glasses, it involves looking at the interior structures of the eye and behind the eye,” which can aid in the detection of numerous health issues, Kolia said.
Insurance companies do not typically cover treatment with an Optomap. If there is a definite medical diagnosis it may be billed as a retinal photo in some instances with some insurance plans. Patients without insurance pay $37 for the test.
“In a lot of people who are nearsighted, the eyeball elongates, so it is important to look behind the eye because they can develop a retinal detachment,” Kolia said.
Kolia said the Optomap likely would be added to the regular battery of tests conducted by optometrists and ophthalmologists during routine eye exams as the technology comes into more widespread use.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Limited Retinal Translocation for Wet Macular Degeneration
Posted by Administration
Limited Retinal Translocation-Limited retinal translocation is another treatment aimed at wet macular degeneration. In this procedure the retina is actually moved somewhat to allow laser treatments to be applied more successfully to abnormal blood vessel growth. The procedure is still in the macular degeneration treatments developmental stages in terms of approval for commercial applications. Surgical options for dry macular degeneration are proposed periodically. The methodologies change from procedure to procedure, but the general idea is the same.
Limited Retinal Translocation-Limited retinal translocation is another treatment aimed at wet macular degeneration. In this procedure the retina is actually moved somewhat to allow laser treatments to be applied more successfully to abnormal blood vessel growth. The procedure is still in the macular degeneration treatments developmental stages in terms of approval for commercial applications. Surgical options for dry macular degeneration are proposed periodically. The methodologies change from procedure to procedure, but the general idea is the same.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Eye Implant breakthrough
By Andrew Hough
Eye implant breakthrough: scientific advances towards a blindness cures
An eye test is the only way to diagnose glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness in Britain.
* Stem cells grown on contact lenses could be a cure for a common cause of blindness, claim scientists. Australian researchers said that the world breakthrough could "dramatically improve" the sight of patients with damage to their cornea – the clear outer shell of the eye – caused by disease or injury.
The research team removed tissue with regenerative stem cells from patients' own eyes and then multiplied them in the laboratory on the surface of a contact lens. This was then placed back onto the damaged cornea for 10 days, during which the cells, which can turn into any other sort of cell, were able to recolonise and "patch" the damaged eye surface. Within weeks the patients saw dramatic improvements in their vision. If early findings bear out then the treatment could be affective for thousands of patients in Britain and is so cheap it could be used for millions more in the Third World.
* Artificial corneas grown in the laboratory were transplanted into patient's eyes for the first time in an operation, scientists reported. The new technique involved growing human tissue or collagen in the laboratory and then shaping it using a contact lens mould.
Damaged and scarred tissue from the front of the eye is then removed and the "biosynthetic" replacement is stitched in its place. Eventually existing cells and nerves in the eye grow over the artificial cornea incorporating it fully into the eye.
* Eye cells that are sensitive to light were produced from skin in a breakthrough that could eventually lead to treatments for blindness, scientists reported in August. Researchers genetically “reprogrammed” human skin cells to possess the same properties as those that make up the retina.
The process involved first turning them into pluripotent stem (IPS) cells, which have the potential to develop into virtually every kind of tissue in the body. By exposing the IPS cells to a specific cocktail of chemicals, the scientists then caused them to grow into partially developed retina cells – the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye which transmit nerve signals to the brain.
* Patients who were left blinded after chemical accidents have had their sight restored using corneas grown from their own stem cells, scientists claimed in June. In the largest study of its kind, Italian researchers said they restored the sight of patients left blinded or suffered severely impaired vision, after suffering chemical burns.
Experts said the study, undertaken between 1998 and 2007, offers new hope to the thousands of people who suffer chemical burns on their corneas from heavy-duty cleansers or other substances at work or at home. The research is also being hailed as a key breakthrough in scientific regeneration that could give hope to other patients with otherwise irreversible eyesight.
* Also in June, a new study suggested a simple way to stop you eyesight deterioriating - drinking red wine. Researchers have found that a substance found in grapes and other fruits could protect blood vessels in the eye being damaged by old age. It is effective because the compound, known as resveratrol, stops the blood vessels from being damaged.
The substance, which has been linked to anti-ageing and cancer protection in the past, is believed to work because it protects against abnormal angiogenesis – the formation of damaged or mutated blood vessels. This condition is linked to cancer, heart disease and eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. In the study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers successfully extracted adult stem cells from healthy eye tissue before growing additional stem cells that were placed over damaged eye tissue.
* Gene therapy was used by American scientists to improve the vision of children with hereditary blindness. US doctors treating 12 patients with a rare genetic eye disorder were able to significantly improve vision in the youngest, according to medical journal The Lancet. The research, which builds on work carried out by doctors at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital, focused on Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), a disorder which causes gradual deterioration in vision and can lead to blindness by the time the patient is 20. It occurs when faulty genes, called RPE65, stop the layer of cells at the back of the eye working and affects approximately one in 80,000 people. It is responsible for one in 10 severe sight disorders in children.
* Scientists cured colour blindness in monkeys, in what some were signalling has new hope for millions of sufferers of the condition. Researchers reported last September that they cured the animals using a treatment called gene therapy. A harmless virus which delivers corrective genes to the retina was injected into the eyes of two squirrel monkeys, Dalton and Sam, who had been colour blind since birth. Within weeks a protein produced by the corrective genes allowed both monkeys to make out reds and greens for the first time. They can still see the colours two years later. The breakthrough could also have implications for other damaging genetic eye defects, including those which can cause blindness, after researchers proved for the first time that the brain can “rewire” itself to see things it has never been able to before.
* A new eye drop treatment was offered to help preserve the sight of thousands of people at risk of going blind due to glaucoma, scientists reported. The drops were first of their kind that avoid unpleasant side effects which deter up to a third of patients from continuing their treatment.
Many patients simply refuse to apply the drops because of the discomfort, thereby putting themselves at risk of vision loss. Regular use of the eye drops can keep the condition under control for a patient's life time. Without them, a patient can go blind in five to 10 years. When the disease becomes too advanced the only remedy is surgery, which is risky and may itself result in blindness.
Eye implant breakthrough: scientific advances towards a blindness cures
An eye test is the only way to diagnose glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness in Britain.
* Stem cells grown on contact lenses could be a cure for a common cause of blindness, claim scientists. Australian researchers said that the world breakthrough could "dramatically improve" the sight of patients with damage to their cornea – the clear outer shell of the eye – caused by disease or injury.
The research team removed tissue with regenerative stem cells from patients' own eyes and then multiplied them in the laboratory on the surface of a contact lens. This was then placed back onto the damaged cornea for 10 days, during which the cells, which can turn into any other sort of cell, were able to recolonise and "patch" the damaged eye surface. Within weeks the patients saw dramatic improvements in their vision. If early findings bear out then the treatment could be affective for thousands of patients in Britain and is so cheap it could be used for millions more in the Third World.
* Artificial corneas grown in the laboratory were transplanted into patient's eyes for the first time in an operation, scientists reported. The new technique involved growing human tissue or collagen in the laboratory and then shaping it using a contact lens mould.
Damaged and scarred tissue from the front of the eye is then removed and the "biosynthetic" replacement is stitched in its place. Eventually existing cells and nerves in the eye grow over the artificial cornea incorporating it fully into the eye.
* Eye cells that are sensitive to light were produced from skin in a breakthrough that could eventually lead to treatments for blindness, scientists reported in August. Researchers genetically “reprogrammed” human skin cells to possess the same properties as those that make up the retina.
The process involved first turning them into pluripotent stem (IPS) cells, which have the potential to develop into virtually every kind of tissue in the body. By exposing the IPS cells to a specific cocktail of chemicals, the scientists then caused them to grow into partially developed retina cells – the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye which transmit nerve signals to the brain.
* Patients who were left blinded after chemical accidents have had their sight restored using corneas grown from their own stem cells, scientists claimed in June. In the largest study of its kind, Italian researchers said they restored the sight of patients left blinded or suffered severely impaired vision, after suffering chemical burns.
Experts said the study, undertaken between 1998 and 2007, offers new hope to the thousands of people who suffer chemical burns on their corneas from heavy-duty cleansers or other substances at work or at home. The research is also being hailed as a key breakthrough in scientific regeneration that could give hope to other patients with otherwise irreversible eyesight.
* Also in June, a new study suggested a simple way to stop you eyesight deterioriating - drinking red wine. Researchers have found that a substance found in grapes and other fruits could protect blood vessels in the eye being damaged by old age. It is effective because the compound, known as resveratrol, stops the blood vessels from being damaged.
The substance, which has been linked to anti-ageing and cancer protection in the past, is believed to work because it protects against abnormal angiogenesis – the formation of damaged or mutated blood vessels. This condition is linked to cancer, heart disease and eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. In the study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers successfully extracted adult stem cells from healthy eye tissue before growing additional stem cells that were placed over damaged eye tissue.
* Gene therapy was used by American scientists to improve the vision of children with hereditary blindness. US doctors treating 12 patients with a rare genetic eye disorder were able to significantly improve vision in the youngest, according to medical journal The Lancet. The research, which builds on work carried out by doctors at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital, focused on Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), a disorder which causes gradual deterioration in vision and can lead to blindness by the time the patient is 20. It occurs when faulty genes, called RPE65, stop the layer of cells at the back of the eye working and affects approximately one in 80,000 people. It is responsible for one in 10 severe sight disorders in children.
* Scientists cured colour blindness in monkeys, in what some were signalling has new hope for millions of sufferers of the condition. Researchers reported last September that they cured the animals using a treatment called gene therapy. A harmless virus which delivers corrective genes to the retina was injected into the eyes of two squirrel monkeys, Dalton and Sam, who had been colour blind since birth. Within weeks a protein produced by the corrective genes allowed both monkeys to make out reds and greens for the first time. They can still see the colours two years later. The breakthrough could also have implications for other damaging genetic eye defects, including those which can cause blindness, after researchers proved for the first time that the brain can “rewire” itself to see things it has never been able to before.
* A new eye drop treatment was offered to help preserve the sight of thousands of people at risk of going blind due to glaucoma, scientists reported. The drops were first of their kind that avoid unpleasant side effects which deter up to a third of patients from continuing their treatment.
Many patients simply refuse to apply the drops because of the discomfort, thereby putting themselves at risk of vision loss. Regular use of the eye drops can keep the condition under control for a patient's life time. Without them, a patient can go blind in five to 10 years. When the disease becomes too advanced the only remedy is surgery, which is risky and may itself result in blindness.
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