Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults, but scientists have long struggled to study and replicate key elements of the disease in the lab. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the first to demonstrate hallmarks of macular degeneration in a new human stem cell model developed by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC).
This new model could make whole new avenues of macular degeneration research possible and has helped the team hone in on some possible drug targets for the disease.
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-retinal pigment epithelium in a dish.
Image credit: Sonal Dalvi (Singh lab, University of Rochester)
“So far, there has not been a patient-derived model of macular degeneration,” said RPB Career Development Award recipient Ruchira Singh, PhD, assistant professor of Ophthalmology in the Flaum Eye Institute at URMC and lead author of the study. “It was not known if you can take cells from the human eye and make a cell model that displays the hallmarks of the disease.”
September 26, 2017
Dr. Alex Huang of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine will study glaucoma filtration surgeries with the aim of improving surgical success for lowering eye pressure and providing neuroprotection.
The new way to measure ocular aging opens treatment avenues for numerous eye diseases.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) today announced the 2023 recipients of the RPB/AAO Award for IRIS Registry Research.
RPB acknowledges the passing of a dedicated former Board member.
Patricia Ann D’Amore, PhD, MBA, is recognized for ground-breaking contributions to the field of vision research.
Dr. Akrit Sodhi at Johns Hopkins Medicine has published a new study showing promise for an experimental treatment to prevent or slow vision loss in people with diabetes.
Get our email updates filled with the latest news from our researchers about preventing vision loss, treating eye disease and even restoring sight. Unsubscribe at any time. Under our privacy policy, we'll never share your contact information with a third party.
General Info | Grants | News & Resources |