About the Retina
The retina is a sheet of light-sensitive tissue on the inner back surface of the eye that contains specialized cells called photoreceptors which convert light into electrical signals for transmission of images to the brain. Unfortunately, any disease that results in photoreceptor cell death will ultimately lead to blindness.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
The macula is a small, centralized area of the retina responsible for acute central vision. Age-related macular degeneration is a degenerative retinal disease that typically strikes adults in their 50s or early 60s. It progresses painlessly, gradually destroying the central vision needed to read, write, drive and watch television. At the present time, 8.5 million Americans have some form of age-related macular degeneration, and the disease continues to be the number one cause of irreversible vision loss among senior citizens in our country. If no cure is found, experts estimate that the number of patients affected with age-related macular degeneration will double in the next 20 years.

A single-center, placebo-controlled dose-escalating and repeated-dosing study of the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of orally-administered ACU-3223 in healthy adults of 55 years of age or older. This is the first ever human trial for a class of compounds known as Visual Cycle Modulators (VCMs). These compounds reduce the activity of the rod (nighttime) visual system by competing for key enzymes in the visual cycle. The goal is to “slow down” the rods, reducing the metabolic load on the cones, and, hopefully, slowing down or preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The general approach is based on the work of Travis, Birch and Palczewski, who showed that inhibiting the rod visual cycle protects the retina in the recessive Stargardt mouse model.

A phase II study of implants of encapsulated human NTC-201 cells releasing ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in participants with geographic atrophy due to macular degeneration using visual acuity as the primary outcome. CNTF is a potent protective factor for retinal neurons, but until recently, there has been no way to provide slow steady release to the human retina. The drug cannot be taken orally because it is too big to cross the blood-retinal barrier. We are using a sustained-release capsule containing human retinal epithelial cells which have been genetically-transfected to produce CNTF. This study is attempting to determine whether sustained CNTF for 1 year prevents progression in ayes with geographic atrophy due to AMD.

Electroretinographic measurements in patients with age-related macular degeneration initiating treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors.
This study is designed to help determine why some patients benefit from the new anti-VEGF inhibitors (Avastin, Macugen and Lucentis), while some do not. We are looking at multiple aspects of macular physiology before and during treatment

Retinitis Pigmentosa
This disease causes blindness in approximately 200,000 people in the United States annually and impacts thousands more as families struggle to cope with this debilitating disease. The first symptom of retinitis pigmentosa is difficulty seeing in the dark or in dim lighting due to the degeneration of rod photoreceptors. Loss of night vision is followed by a progressive loss of peripheral vision producing tunnel vision, legal blindness, and eventually, total blindness.

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited disease. Although there is no cure, much research is being done to both prevent and delay the disease’s progression. Emerging treatments are designed to protect the cones (daytime vision) from the ravages of mutations that cause rod photoreceptor death and night blindness.

At the Retina Foundation, we constantly strive to test new technologies and diagnostic tools for retina-related diseases. One of the most recent innovations we’re testing is the multi-focal electroretinogram (mfERG) This technology takes advantage of the fact that the retina converts light energy into electrical energy for transmission to the brain. A time contact lens electrode on the front of the eye can detect these minute signals in much the same way that and EKG detects heart function. The mfERG is a highly advanced technology used in patients with age-related macular degeneration to detect abnormal macula function. This and other technologies are used at the Retina Foundation for research purposed in order to understand and prevent progressive forms of retinal degeneration.

A Phase II Clinical Trial to investigate the effectiveness and safety of high dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in early-stage X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. This 4-year prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial has enrolled 60 male patients (age 7-32 y) from across the U.S. and Canada. Patient enrollment is expected to close in March, 2008. The study is designed to test whether the nutritional intervention will slow the loss of visual function associated with this degenerative disease and thus, provide an extended period of usable vision. This trial is a collaborative venture between Retina Foundation researchers (Hoffman, Birch, & Wheaton) and retinal specialists (Fish & Spencer) at Texas Retina Associates. The project is funded, in part by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Martek Biosciences, and the Foundation Fighting Blindness. A detailed description of the trial is posted on the U.S. government’s ClinicalTrials.gov website at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00100230?order=2.