What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) refers to a loss of visual cells (rods and cones) from the macula, the central part of the retina. A degenerative retinal disease that typically strikes adults in their 50s or early 60s, AMD progresses painlessly, gradually destroying the central vision needed to read, write, drive and watch television.

Today, approximately, 8.5 million Americans have some form of age-related macular degeneration, and the disease continues to be the number on 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 AMD will double in the next 20 years. One of the key factors for slowing down the progression of AMD is early intervention, which requires early detection of “AMD or early detection of changes in disease status.

• The Jennie and Henry Jones Macular Function Lab is developing sophisticated technology, such as new shape discrimination charts, that can be used routinely by patients or clinicians to help detect early signs of AMD or disease status changes.

• The Alice B. Pearson Visual Biochemistry Lab is studying the effect of nutritional supplements on the progression of retinal degeneration.

• The Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations Lab is working with mouse models of AMD where there is a strong genetic contribution to the local areas of damage in the central retina.

• The Southwest Eye Registry coordinates genetic testing for families with macular degeneration.

• The Sybil B. Harrington Molecular Ophthalmology Lab conducts basic studies of aging in retinal cells.

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.