Age-related macular degeneration is a common eye disease. The macula is located in the center of the retina at the back of the eye and is responsible for processing central vision. People with macular degeneration have distorted or absent central vision. The exact cause of macular degeneration is unknown, but it tends to develop with aging. There is no cure for age-related macular degeneration, but there are methods to help slow the disease progression and there are vision aids to improve quality of life. In a ground-breaking study, researchers found that there is a drug that appears to markedly slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine successfully used the medication retinylamine in animal studies to dramatically slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Retinylamine appears to modify the genes responsible for controlling the pace of the eye disease. The researchers have received extended support from the National Eye Institute to conduct further studies that hopefully will lead to treatments for humans.