Eye Health Email Newsletter

Genentech, Inc., manufacturer of the lung and colon cancer drug Avastin, has been linked to reports of serious eye inflammation when used "off-label" to treat wet macular degeneration, a potentially blinding eye condition.

The brain's ability to reorganize itself to compensate for vision loss, the ability called plasticity, may be the key in helping those with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) see better.

A team of clinicians and scientists at the University of Southampton, UK, has identified an important new genetic association with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in developed countries.

This study is the first to report in humans an adverse association between sunlight exposure and AMD in people with low levels of antioxidants.

Scientists from the United States and China have identified the first gene therapy directly associated with the onset of “dry” macular degeneration, one of the two forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Following a successful experimental implant of retinal cells in visually impaired patients, researchers have reported promising results. Preliminary research shows encouraging results with transplantation of retinal cells in patients with blindness caused by retinal pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

According to two new studies, researchers restored partial vision in a small group of young adults with a form of retinal degeneration by using gene therapy. The subjects had a form of retinal degeneration known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). LCA causes blindness by damaging the retina so that it no longer processes light.

One of the greatest threats to your eye health, the sun, is all around you. Studies show that exposure to sunlight and its UV rays may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and growths on the eye, including cancer.

A study has been commissioned by the National Eye Institute (NEI) to determine whether the drugs Lucentis and Avastin are truly comparable in treating macular degeneration.