From The Sunday Times
April 19, 2009
Blind to be cured with stem cells
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor
BRITISH scientists have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells. It was pioneered by scientists and surgeons from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital.
This week Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients.
The treatment will tackle age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness. It affects more than 500,000 Britons and the number is forecast to increase significantly as people live longer. The disease involves the loss of eye cells.
Under the new treatment, embryonic stem cells are transformed into replicas of the missing cells. They are then placed on an artificial membrane which is inserted in the back of the retina.
Tom Bremridge, chief executive of the Macular Disease Society, said: “This is a huge step forward for patients. We are extremely pleased that the big guns have become involved, because, once this treatment is validated, it will be made available to a huge volume of patients.”
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into all types of body tissue. Their use is controversial, however, because it involves the destruction of human embryos.
Laboratory trials completed by the British team have demonstrated that stem cells can prevent blindness in rats with a similar disease to AMD. They have also successfully tested elements of the technology in pigs.
The team is led by Professor Pete Coffey, director of the London Project to Cure Blindness, working alongside Lyndon da Cruz, a surgeon at Moorfields.
Coffey said the treatment would take “less than an hour, so it really could be considered as an outpatient procedure. We are trying to get it out as a common therapy”.
He welcomed Pfizer’s agreement to manufacture the membranes, saying: “This is a major development because of the size of the partner. We need a big pharmaceutical company to scale it up.
“We have nearly 14m people within Europe with AMD. This will ensure that the therapy gets through to clinical trials in a safe and effective manner.”
Professor Peng Khaw, director of the Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, added: “This shows that stem cell therapy is coming of age. It offers great hope for many sufferers around the world who cannot be treated with conventional treatment.” He added: “All my patients say to me is, ‘When will this stem cell treatment be ready? I want it now’.”
Pfizer’s role would be crucial in bringing production of the membranes to an industrial level.
The team is applying for regulatory approval for trials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Human Tissue Authority and the gene therapy advisory committee.
The clinical trial, due within two years, is expected to be the second in the world to use embryonic stem cells on humans. The first, on patients with spinal cord injuries, will start this year in America.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Nearly 18 Million Will Have Macular Degeneration by 2050
Nearly 18 Million Will Have Macular Degeneration by 2050
04.13.09, 08:00 PM EDT
But newer treatments could reduce related blindness by almost 35%, study suggests
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Although the rate of age-related macular degeneration is on the increase, newer treatments could help reduce the most serious effects of the disease by about 35 percent, new estimates suggest.
In a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers report that as many as 9.1 million people will have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2010, but that 17.8 million people will have the potentially blinding eye disease by 2050.
"What we found is that due to aging, the number of cases of early and advanced AMD will increase dramatically no matter what," said study author David Rein, a senior research economist from RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C. "In 2050, we project there will be 1.57 million cases of blindness [caused by AMD] with no treatment. But, with vigorous treatment, that number's just about 1 million."
Results of the study are published in the April issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Age-related macular degeneration is a serious eye disease that causes the breakdown of the macula, which is located in the retina. The macula gives you clear central vision, which is essential for reading and driving, even for just seeing people's faces. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people over 65, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmologists (AAO).
Risk factors for AMD include advancing age, a family history of the disease, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity, according to the AAO. Though there are treatments that help some people, there is no cure for AMD.
Most of the treatments for AMD are relatively new, only widely available since about 2001, according to Rein. The easiest and cheapest intervention is a special vitamin/mineral combination (vitamins C, E, beta carotene, zinc and copper) that may slow the progression of AMD. This treatment only costs about $100 per year, and when used early in the disease can "reduce vision-threatening disease by 25 percent," Rein noted.
Other possible treatments include anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), which slows the growth of leaking blood vessels in the eyes, laser therapy or photodynamic therapy (PDT), which combines the use of medication and laser therapy to reduce blood vessel leakage in the eyes.
Using a statistical model, the researchers estimated that the rate of visual impairment would drop by 2.4 percent if everyone with AMD were treated with PDT alone, but by 22 percent if PDT was combined with vitamin treatments. If, in the future, everyone were treated with laser therapy and anti-VEGF, visual impairment and blindness from AMD would decrease by 16.9 percent, and the final scenario -- early vitamin treatment and laser therapy -- would reduce serious visual problems in AMD by 34.5 percent.
"Age-related macular degeneration is a major public health problem, and as people are living longer, more people are going to develop some form of macular degeneration," said Dr. Alexander Aizman, a clinical instructor in the department of ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "The scenarios in this study are very plausible."
Aizman said that although there's currently no specific preventive treatment to avoid AMD altogether, the same things that keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy -- maintaining the proper weight, exercising, not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke -- can also help keep your eyes healthy.
"If you have a relative who has been diagnosed with AMD, it's important to know that you're probably at a higher risk of AMD than the general population," said Aizman. "If you're 60 or older, have regular eye checkups with an ophthalmologist or a retinal specialist to find out if you have any early changes that suggest AMD."
04.13.09, 08:00 PM EDT
But newer treatments could reduce related blindness by almost 35%, study suggests
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Although the rate of age-related macular degeneration is on the increase, newer treatments could help reduce the most serious effects of the disease by about 35 percent, new estimates suggest.
In a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers report that as many as 9.1 million people will have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2010, but that 17.8 million people will have the potentially blinding eye disease by 2050.
"What we found is that due to aging, the number of cases of early and advanced AMD will increase dramatically no matter what," said study author David Rein, a senior research economist from RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C. "In 2050, we project there will be 1.57 million cases of blindness [caused by AMD] with no treatment. But, with vigorous treatment, that number's just about 1 million."
Results of the study are published in the April issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Age-related macular degeneration is a serious eye disease that causes the breakdown of the macula, which is located in the retina. The macula gives you clear central vision, which is essential for reading and driving, even for just seeing people's faces. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people over 65, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmologists (AAO).
Risk factors for AMD include advancing age, a family history of the disease, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity, according to the AAO. Though there are treatments that help some people, there is no cure for AMD.
Most of the treatments for AMD are relatively new, only widely available since about 2001, according to Rein. The easiest and cheapest intervention is a special vitamin/mineral combination (vitamins C, E, beta carotene, zinc and copper) that may slow the progression of AMD. This treatment only costs about $100 per year, and when used early in the disease can "reduce vision-threatening disease by 25 percent," Rein noted.
Other possible treatments include anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), which slows the growth of leaking blood vessels in the eyes, laser therapy or photodynamic therapy (PDT), which combines the use of medication and laser therapy to reduce blood vessel leakage in the eyes.
Using a statistical model, the researchers estimated that the rate of visual impairment would drop by 2.4 percent if everyone with AMD were treated with PDT alone, but by 22 percent if PDT was combined with vitamin treatments. If, in the future, everyone were treated with laser therapy and anti-VEGF, visual impairment and blindness from AMD would decrease by 16.9 percent, and the final scenario -- early vitamin treatment and laser therapy -- would reduce serious visual problems in AMD by 34.5 percent.
"Age-related macular degeneration is a major public health problem, and as people are living longer, more people are going to develop some form of macular degeneration," said Dr. Alexander Aizman, a clinical instructor in the department of ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "The scenarios in this study are very plausible."
Aizman said that although there's currently no specific preventive treatment to avoid AMD altogether, the same things that keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy -- maintaining the proper weight, exercising, not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke -- can also help keep your eyes healthy.
"If you have a relative who has been diagnosed with AMD, it's important to know that you're probably at a higher risk of AMD than the general population," said Aizman. "If you're 60 or older, have regular eye checkups with an ophthalmologist or a retinal specialist to find out if you have any early changes that suggest AMD."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
New Low-Cost Handheld Device offers Independence for Millions of Visually Impaired Americans
New Low-Cost Handheld Device offers Independence for Millions of Visually Impaired Americans
Enhanced Vision Launches "Pebble" - a Feature-Rich Magnifying Solution for Extreme Portability at Affordable Price
Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time.
Huntington Beach, Calif. (PRWEB) April 10, 2009 -- Enhanced Vision, America's leading manufacturer of magnifying solutions for the visually impaired, launched a powerful new hand-held device today that can bring affordable independence to the 15 Million+ Americans suffering from low vision conditions such as macular degeneration. At just $595 and no larger than a men's wallet, "Pebble" is an exciting new vision device that gives users the freedom to read menus, check price tags, write checks, and much more while on the go.
The Pebble features:
* Bright, 3.5" high resolution LCD display that magnifies words and objects from 2-10X the normal size
* Choice of six video viewing modes for optimal contrast
* "Freeze image" feature with additional magnification capabilities
* Hands-free mode for reading and writing
* Built-in LED light source for dim lighting conditions(e.g. restaurants)
* 2 AA rechargeable batteries, wall adapter and carrying case
Currently, more than 15 million people in the United States are diagnosed with low vision conditions, such as Macular Degeneration which makes everyday activities like reading, writing, and ordering at restaurants a real challenge. And with America's aging population, this number is expected to double by 2020. Leading eye care specialists have discovered that video magnification is a solution for these individuals to regain and maintain their independence.
"With the Pebble, we're giving people the confidence to do everyday activities again with a single, simple device," said Michelle Williams, Director of Marketing at Enhanced Vision. "Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time."
For more information about Enhanced Vision and its products, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
About Enhanced Vision:
Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative products designed specifically for people who are legally blind and have macular degeneration and other low-vision conditions. The company offers the most comprehensive line of electronic magnifying solutions and has helped thousands of people regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, enjoy a play and live again. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
Enhanced Vision Launches "Pebble" - a Feature-Rich Magnifying Solution for Extreme Portability at Affordable Price
Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time.
Huntington Beach, Calif. (PRWEB) April 10, 2009 -- Enhanced Vision, America's leading manufacturer of magnifying solutions for the visually impaired, launched a powerful new hand-held device today that can bring affordable independence to the 15 Million+ Americans suffering from low vision conditions such as macular degeneration. At just $595 and no larger than a men's wallet, "Pebble" is an exciting new vision device that gives users the freedom to read menus, check price tags, write checks, and much more while on the go.
The Pebble features:
* Bright, 3.5" high resolution LCD display that magnifies words and objects from 2-10X the normal size
* Choice of six video viewing modes for optimal contrast
* "Freeze image" feature with additional magnification capabilities
* Hands-free mode for reading and writing
* Built-in LED light source for dim lighting conditions(e.g. restaurants)
* 2 AA rechargeable batteries, wall adapter and carrying case
Currently, more than 15 million people in the United States are diagnosed with low vision conditions, such as Macular Degeneration which makes everyday activities like reading, writing, and ordering at restaurants a real challenge. And with America's aging population, this number is expected to double by 2020. Leading eye care specialists have discovered that video magnification is a solution for these individuals to regain and maintain their independence.
"With the Pebble, we're giving people the confidence to do everyday activities again with a single, simple device," said Michelle Williams, Director of Marketing at Enhanced Vision. "Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time."
For more information about Enhanced Vision and its products, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
About Enhanced Vision:
Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative products designed specifically for people who are legally blind and have macular degeneration and other low-vision conditions. The company offers the most comprehensive line of electronic magnifying solutions and has helped thousands of people regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, enjoy a play and live again. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Eye donation: a gift that gives twice
On average, two out of three Iowans mark "yes" to organ donation on their driver's license. The state boasts the highest donor designation rate in the country.
This is good news for patients with eye disorders, and University of Iowa physicians and scientists also laud Iowans' generosity. March is National Eye Donation Awareness Month and highlights the year-round efforts of UI experts and the Iowa Lions Eye Bank who work together to utilize the donated tissue.
"Iowa Lions Eye Bank facilitates the gift of sight through transplant and the gift of answers through research," said Katie Charter, director of donor development at the eye bank. "They are both equally important in sight restoration and preservation."
Only the cornea and sclera can be transplanted; the cornea is the clear dome, which covers the front of the eye, that helps focus light, and the sclera is the white fibrous tissue that protects the eye.
Surgeons perform about 40,000 cornea transplants each year in the United States. In 95 percent of cases, the procedure successfully restores a recipient's vision. The Iowa Lions Eye Bank, founded in 1955, has provided more than 15,000 corneas for transplantation, and helped the UI obtain the latest devices for these procedures.
Eye donations lead to additional opportunities for helping patients; scientists can use donated ocular tissue for research and teaching.
Other than a call from the eye bank to retrieve a sample, few other circumstances could rouse researchers in the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences from their beds at 4 a.m. One such scientist is Robert Mullins, Ph.D., a UI associate professor. His team uses the donated tissue to study a potential cause of macular degeneration, a common eye disorder.
Seeking ways to diagnose and treat macular degeneration in its early stages, UI scientists have been awarded millions of dollars in NIH funding to study multiple facets of the disorder. Macular degeneration is largely responsible for blindness in the elderly population in industrialized countries. It affects one in seven adults older than age 75, and is often known as age-related macular degeneration. The macula is part of the retina, the layer of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells. When cells in the macula get damaged, vision loss -- sometimes severe -- can result.
At his lab in the UI Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration, Mullins and his team explore how the blanket of blood vessels nourishing the retina has a role in disease development.
However, Mullins said researchers face one major hurdle. With the exception of primates, the animal models available do not have maculas. For his research findings to eventually reach clinical practice, Mullins relies on donated human eye tissue. His colleagues and team members are on call at all times, ready to whisk a sample to the lab to make sure the cells do not start to break down.
"The field suffered a lot from the lack of appropriate models," Mullins said. "That's why eye donations are a precious resource -- we have to treat them in a responsible way and learn as much as we can from the samples. Our scientists share these valuable specimens to try to understand the biological causes of diseases like macular degeneration and glaucoma."
Nearby on the health campus, Rachel Asbury, a social worker with the Family Support Program at UI Hospitals and Clinics, may also receive a call at odd hours regarding organ and tissue donation. Asbury knows too well that the kindness of strangers is often rooted in tragedy, for example a fatal car accident. She is specially trained to help families through the difficult time and works with the Iowa Donor Network to offer the opportunity of donation. Her job meshes crisis intervention and advocacy for the grieving families.
Should a family choose to make a donation, Asbury works with the physicians and nurses to evaluate medical suitability and coordinates activities with the Iowa Lions Eye Bank. She also answers questions that donor families may have about how the tissue will be used. She said that "research" initially seems like an abstract term, but learning about UI scientists' work can be reassuring to a potential donor's relatives.
"We don't leave it at 'donate to research' and make that the end of the sentence," she said. "When I tell them it's for macular degeneration, families say, 'Oh, I think Aunt Beth had that.' Then it hits home."
With both research and transplant as options, essentially anyone can donate eye tissue. Even those with poor eyesight, cataracts or cancer can give. Individuals who mark "yes" to donation on their driver's license give consent for tissue to be used for transplants only. People who wish to donate to research can register with the Iowa Donor Registry at http://www.iowadonorregistry.org.
This is good news for patients with eye disorders, and University of Iowa physicians and scientists also laud Iowans' generosity. March is National Eye Donation Awareness Month and highlights the year-round efforts of UI experts and the Iowa Lions Eye Bank who work together to utilize the donated tissue.
"Iowa Lions Eye Bank facilitates the gift of sight through transplant and the gift of answers through research," said Katie Charter, director of donor development at the eye bank. "They are both equally important in sight restoration and preservation."
Only the cornea and sclera can be transplanted; the cornea is the clear dome, which covers the front of the eye, that helps focus light, and the sclera is the white fibrous tissue that protects the eye.
Surgeons perform about 40,000 cornea transplants each year in the United States. In 95 percent of cases, the procedure successfully restores a recipient's vision. The Iowa Lions Eye Bank, founded in 1955, has provided more than 15,000 corneas for transplantation, and helped the UI obtain the latest devices for these procedures.
Eye donations lead to additional opportunities for helping patients; scientists can use donated ocular tissue for research and teaching.
Other than a call from the eye bank to retrieve a sample, few other circumstances could rouse researchers in the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences from their beds at 4 a.m. One such scientist is Robert Mullins, Ph.D., a UI associate professor. His team uses the donated tissue to study a potential cause of macular degeneration, a common eye disorder.
Seeking ways to diagnose and treat macular degeneration in its early stages, UI scientists have been awarded millions of dollars in NIH funding to study multiple facets of the disorder. Macular degeneration is largely responsible for blindness in the elderly population in industrialized countries. It affects one in seven adults older than age 75, and is often known as age-related macular degeneration. The macula is part of the retina, the layer of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells. When cells in the macula get damaged, vision loss -- sometimes severe -- can result.
At his lab in the UI Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration, Mullins and his team explore how the blanket of blood vessels nourishing the retina has a role in disease development.
However, Mullins said researchers face one major hurdle. With the exception of primates, the animal models available do not have maculas. For his research findings to eventually reach clinical practice, Mullins relies on donated human eye tissue. His colleagues and team members are on call at all times, ready to whisk a sample to the lab to make sure the cells do not start to break down.
"The field suffered a lot from the lack of appropriate models," Mullins said. "That's why eye donations are a precious resource -- we have to treat them in a responsible way and learn as much as we can from the samples. Our scientists share these valuable specimens to try to understand the biological causes of diseases like macular degeneration and glaucoma."
Nearby on the health campus, Rachel Asbury, a social worker with the Family Support Program at UI Hospitals and Clinics, may also receive a call at odd hours regarding organ and tissue donation. Asbury knows too well that the kindness of strangers is often rooted in tragedy, for example a fatal car accident. She is specially trained to help families through the difficult time and works with the Iowa Donor Network to offer the opportunity of donation. Her job meshes crisis intervention and advocacy for the grieving families.
Should a family choose to make a donation, Asbury works with the physicians and nurses to evaluate medical suitability and coordinates activities with the Iowa Lions Eye Bank. She also answers questions that donor families may have about how the tissue will be used. She said that "research" initially seems like an abstract term, but learning about UI scientists' work can be reassuring to a potential donor's relatives.
"We don't leave it at 'donate to research' and make that the end of the sentence," she said. "When I tell them it's for macular degeneration, families say, 'Oh, I think Aunt Beth had that.' Then it hits home."
With both research and transplant as options, essentially anyone can donate eye tissue. Even those with poor eyesight, cataracts or cancer can give. Individuals who mark "yes" to donation on their driver's license give consent for tissue to be used for transplants only. People who wish to donate to research can register with the Iowa Donor Registry at http://www.iowadonorregistry.org.
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