Dr. Grossman’s Blog

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Vitamin A plays a key role in the development of macular degeneration.  Researchers are working on the structure of vitamin A itself in an attempt reduce patients’ chances of losing their vision to AMD.

According to Columbia University Medical Center researchers, if it is possible to slow the aggregation or “clumping” of vitamin A within the eye, scientists might be able to discourage vision loss associated with macular degeneration.

As part of the natural biological processes in the eye, vitamin A undergoes a series of chemical transformations.  Molecules of vitamin A can combine with other vitamin A molecules to form clumpy deposits or “dimers.”  High levels of vitamin A dimers are present in elderly people with AMD, but they are also present in young children who develop the juvenile form of macular degeneration, Stargardt’s disease.

These animals studies are the first of their kind to produce positive results without causing vision loss and significant side effects.  Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry (Mar 11, 2011).

Image via nnlm.gov

A recent article in the British Journal of Ophthalmology highlights the ways that gene therapies have great potential for helping individuals with eye diseases including retinitis pigmentosa,  Stargardt’s disease,  age-related macular degeneration, uveitis and glaucoma.

The eye is an ideal candidate for trials involving gene therapy because it is easily accessible, highly compartmentalised and immune-privileged (even when an antigen is introduced to the eye it will not trigger and inflammatory immune system response).

For further information on how gene therapies are impacting approaches to various eye conditions, please visit our research pages.

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Stargardt’s disease is the most common inherited form of macular degeneration that strikes late in childhood.  This disease strikes 1 in 20,000 children over age six and generally leads to legal blindness.

Stargardt’s disease causes a progressive loss of central vision. The main signs and symptoms are loss of visual acuity or sharpness of vision, decreased color vision and small blind spots. Other symptoms may include blurriness and visual distortion, difficulty adapting to the dark after sunlight exposure, and/or light sensitivity. Sufferers with severe vision loss may also experience visual hallucinations and are the result of the brain trying to make sense of impaired visual input.

Nutrients such as lutein, zeaxanthin and mesozeaxanthin may help slow the progression of Stargardt’s Disease and/or prevent further vision loss. Patients with Stargardt’s disease are cautioned against taking vitamin A because researchers believe gene mutations lead to abnormal synthesis of the vitamin in the eyes, resulting in increased loss of vision.

For more information on the causes, prevention, and treatment of Stargardt’s disease, please visit our website.

A small study by Japanese researchers demonstrates an increased blood supply to the retina upon stimulation of certain acupuncture points. Needles were inserted near the posterior base of the thumbs of volunteers while investigators used a laser to scan the retinal blood flow. Both volume and velocity increased in these patients. The work was done at the ophthalmology department at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

Reported by Dr. Kazuhiko Mori at the annual meeting of the Association for Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale this past May.

For more related information on natural eye care, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

The 73-year-old, known only as Ron, had the experimental surgery seven months ago at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital and is now able to see flashes of light, follow white lines on the road, and sort grey and black socks.

The eye known as the Argus II, which was developed by US company Second Sight, uses a miniature camera mounted on glasses to transmit images to the back of the eye.

An “artificial retina” consisting of an array of electrodes sends messages along the optic nerve to the brain.

So far 18 patients around the world have undergone the surgery as part of trials and Ron, who lost his sight in his forties due to the hereditary eye disorder retinitis pigmentosa, was one of three patients to have the device fitted at the London hospital.

As he starts to get use to the device his life will be transformed even more as he gradually learns how to use the artificial eye.

He said: ‘For 30 years I’ve seen absolutely nothing at all, it’s all been black – but now light is coming through.

‘It gives me grades of bright light to black and anything in between. I can actually sort out white socks, grey socks and black socks.’

Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness.

The Sylmar, Calif., company produced the devices for the U.S. Energy Department’s Artificial Retina Project. The department has been engaged in biological research since the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s raised fears of radiation poisoning.

The current version is being tested on 17 blind people in the U.S. and Europe, and more patients are being enrolled. At a retina conference in October, patients reported improvements in orientation and mobility. They were able to find a door from 20 feet away and to follow a line on the floor for 20 feet.

Meanwhile, researchers in the Energy Department’s National Laboratories are creating a third-generation artificial retina. Much smaller than its predecessors, the device will contain 200 or more electrodes on a thin, flexible film that curves to fit the shape of the retina. Human tests are scheduled to begin in 2011.

For more information, go to http://artificialretina.energy.gov/index.shtml

For more information and specific research studies by eye condition including nutrition and vision research, go to <a href=”http://www.naturaleyecare.com”>Natural Eye Care </a>

Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness.

The Sylmar, Calif., company produced the devices for the U.S. Energy Department’s Artificial Retina Project. The department has been engaged in biological research since the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s raised fears of radiation poisoning.

The current version is being tested on 17 blind people in the U.S. and Europe, and more patients are being enrolled. At a retina conference in October, patients reported improvements in orientation and mobility. They were able to find a door from 20 feet away and to follow a line on the floor for 20 feet, Mech reported.

Meanwhile, researchers in the Energy Department’s National Laboratories are creating a third-generation artificial retina. Much smaller than its predecessors, the device will contain 200 or more electrodes on a thin, flexible film that curves to fit the shape of the retina. Human tests are scheduled to begin in 2011.

For more information, go to http://artificialretina.energy.gov/index.shtml

For more information and specific research studies by eye condition on nutrition and vision, go to Natural Eye Care

Studies show that people with Stargardt’s Disease genetically do not make an enzyme to get rid of the waste products from metabolized Vitamin A analogs and the build up of these waste products leads to the death of retinal cells, so supplementing with Vitamin A should be avoided. Also, certain foods should be restricted that are high in Vitamin A. Fruits to be restricted include: tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelon, peaches, kiwi, oranges, and blackberries. Vegetables high in Vitamin A include: carrots. kale, spinach and sweet potatoes.

For more information and related studies, go to www.naturaleyecare.com .