Latest News
Factors that stress the body, such as obesity, can make people more likely to develop macular degeneration when they’re older, even if they’ve returned to a normal weight, new research shows.
BrightFocus Foundation, an international nonprofit funder of brain and vision research, recognized five leading vision scientists for their ideas to prevent, treat, and cure macular degeneration and glaucoma during the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).
A recent study reveals that an anti-inflammatory drug approved to treat certain autoimmune diseases can counteract a protein in the body that’s linked to age-related macular degeneration. These findings may lead to a new treatment option for the disease.
BrightFocus Foundation celebrates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection), the first-ever treatment to slow the progression of vision loss from geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration and a leading cause of blindness.
In recognition of Macular Degeneration Awareness Month this February, BrightFocus Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to ending diseases of mind and sight, is offering a variety of free educational resources to help individuals with macular degeneration and their loved ones navigate the disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for a new treatment that could slow the progression of geographic atrophy, an advanced and severe form of dry age-related macular degeneration that can lead to permanent vision loss.
David Liao, MD, offers insights into managing and understanding AMD and what forthcoming FDA approval could mean for treatment.
If approved, the drug pegcetacoplan would become the first-ever treatment in the U.S. for geographic atrophy, a blinding and advanced form of age-related macular degeneration.
In this issue:
- President’s Corner
- One-Time Gene Therapy for Wet AMD
- DNA Modifcation and Gene Expression in AMD
- And more!
A team including two BrightFocus grantees has successfully transplanted a patch of retinal tissue into a patient with geographic atrophy. This experimental therapy was part of an NIH clinical trial and marks the first time in the U.S. that stem cells derived from a patient’s own tissue have been used to replace eye cells.
