New Developments In Macular Degeneration

March 7, 2006

A study conducted at Columbia University in New York City suggests that as many as three-quarters of the cases of macular degeneration may be the result of two gene mutations. Macular degeneration or AMD is a disorder commonly suffered by older people and is characterized by vision loss and even blindness in severe cases.

"You lose your central vision so you can't see in front of you, you can't read properly, you can't drive, you can't watch TV," commented Rando Allikmets, an ophthalmology professor at Columbia University. "The worst case scenario is that you end up blind."

The study examined the genetic makeup of 1,300 people for the effects of gene variations on age-related macular degeneration. Researchers found that a particular inherited gene may greatly contribute to the onset of the eyesight debilitating condition .

According to findings published in the journal of Nature Genetics, a variation of the gene known as Factor B works with a variation of the Factor H gene to cause macular degeneration. Both of these genes play an integral roll in balancing the body's immune system.

According to Dr. Albert O. Edwards, the president of the Institute for Retina Research at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, these findings are more than promising, creating a basis for potential therapies to remedy and prevent AMD. "It is difficult to project when such therapies might be available, but these results will further increase interest in AMD and the amount of effort and money spent looking for therapies," commented Dr. Edwards.

Statistics show that as many as 50 million people may be suffering from macular degeneration worldwide, with possibly three-fourths of them as the result of genetic mutations. Researchers estimate that one-third of the population in the United States will experience some degree of macular degeneration by the time the reach the age of 75.

New evidence showing the correlation between the disease and the immune system controlling genes will hopefully pave the road for additional research and the development of therapy to prevent and assuage the symptoms of macular degeneration.

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