New compound stops brain cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease
Drug discovery researchers at Northwestern University have developed a novel orally administered compound specifically targeted to suppress brain cell inflammation and neuron loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. The compound is also rapidly absorbed by the brain and is non-toxic ?important considerations for a central nervous system drug that might need to be taken for extended period...New gene reduces retinal degeneration in fruit flies
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a gene in fruit flies that helps certain specialized neurons respond more quickly to bright light. The study, published in the April 4 issue of Current Biology, also has implications for understanding sensory perception in mammals. In teasing apart the molecular interactions and physiology underlying light perception, the researchers studied a gene...Salk and Stanford teams join forces to reveal two paths of neurodegeneration
Wiring the developing brain is like creating a topiary garden. Shrubs don't automatically assume the shape of ornamental elephants, and neither do immature nerve cells immediately recognize the "right" target cell. Abundant foliage, either vegetal or neuronal, must first sprout and then be sculpted into an ordered structure. Neurons extend fibers called axons to target cells in an exuberan...Light-sensitive photoswitches could restore sight to those with macular degeneration
A research center newly created by the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) aims to put light-sensitive switches in the body's cells that can be flipped on and off as easily as a remote control operates a TV. Optical switches like these could trigger a chemical reaction, initiate a muscle contraction, activate a drug or stimulate a nerve cell...Transplanted photoreceptor precursor cells restore visual function in mice with retinal degeneration
Scientists have successfully transplanted light-sensing cells called photoreceptors directly into the eyes of mice and restored their visual function. The achievement is based on a novel technology in which the cells are introduced at a particular stage in their development. It was carried out at the London Institute of Ophthalmology using a novel approach developed at the University of...New Laser Techniques cure degeneration of the eye
Latest Laser techniques are being developed on a daily basis. One of these latest laser techniques is helpful in the treatment of those suffering from a degenerative eye condition. This degenerative condition cause blood vessels to grow underneath the retina and leak fluid, causing scarring and loss of vision. Eye specialists have come up with a new therapy called the Photodynamic Therap...Fast screening for macular degeneration
According to a new study, researchers are investigating a new technique for mapping the back of the retina and screening for the onset of blindness. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in older people. //A team at the University of Utah now report on a technical advance that could be developed into a rapid screen for AMD among people at risk.They could...Gene treatment for macular degeneration
As researchers learn more and more about the genes that cause a number of medical conditions, opportunities for treatment with gene therapy become increasingly likely. //In an interview with Jonathan Davidorf, M.D., explained exciting new advances in the treatment of some forms of macular degeneration. According to him it is the use of gene therapy to treat some forms of macular degenerat...Laser may stop macular degeneration
All around the United States, researchers at 24 medical centers hope to arbitrate whether a laser can stop the development of macular degeneration before it progresses. There are two forms of macular degeneration, wet and dry. //The dry form makes upto75 percent of all cases and is characterized by the formation of yellowish deposits within the layers of the retina known as drusen. People...Macular Degeneration treatment with Laser
Macular Degeneration is a blinding condition, which currently affects 30 per cent of people over the age of 75. Most people affected with this disease suffer from the dry form that has no proven treatment until now. However, a new laser could offer hope to those suffering from the disease. This laser treatment, which takes just 15 minutes, involves gently heating the retinal pigment// epi...Positive Interim Phase 2 Data Reported for VEGF Trap-Eye in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. & LEVERKUSEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 27,2007 - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: REGN) and BayerHealthCare AG (NYSE: BAY) today announced positive preliminary datafrom a pre-planned interim analysis of a Phase 2 randomized studyof their VEGF Trap-Eye in patients with the neovascular form ofage-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The VEGF Trap-Eye metits...