 |
 |
Since 1824, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary has been dedicated to improving, saving, and restoring people's sight, hearing and speech. Its patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical training programs draw patients, physicians, scientists, and students from around the world.
The Infirmary treats individuals for the most common, as well as the most challenging and difficult diseases of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. As the primary teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School in these specialties, the Infirmary provides an unparalleled setting for providing patient care and conducting scientific investigation in ways that bring laboratory advances to the patient as quickly as possible.
The Department of Ophthalmology enjoys an international reputation for advances it has introduced to treat the most serious diseases of the eye. Now, Infirmary physicians and scientists stand on the threshold of important research breakthroughs in treating and hopefully curing two major diseases of the eye: age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. The great potential of these breakthroughs has lead the Infirmary to establish the Retina Research Institute for Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration to focus research and technology on these two debilitating diseases.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative disorder that slowly robs people of their central vision. In its advanced stages, people with AMD lose the ability to see straight ahead and can no longer drive, read, recognize faces, watch television, or do any fine work. For those suffering from AMD, this loss of independence can be devastating. Unfortunately, today there are no good treatments for this incurable disorder.
AMD currently affects 13 million people in the United States alone, and is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55. This has become a growing public health concern, as over 200,000 Americans each year lose their vision to AMD. As the "baby boom" population ages, these numbers will increase dramatically.
Diabetic retinopathy is a blinding eye disease that affects patients suffering from diabetes. It is a particularly devastating condition as it generally attacks both eyes, complicates an already difficult medical situation, and strikes during the most productive years of the patient's life. With regular examinations and treatment through laser therapy and surgery, loss of vision can often be slowed or minimized. Yet, despite these treatments over three million people currently have diabetic retinopathy. This disease remains the leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 25-55.
Age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy share a similar underlying mechanism - both are diseases of the blood vessels. Through a process known as angiogenesis, unwanted blood vessels proliferate and leak, causing scarring and damage to the delicate retina, resulting in vision loss. The challenge for physicians and scientists at the Retina Research Institute is to develop a better understanding of these two diseases, pioneer new treatments to prevent, halt, and destroy these damaging blood vessels without harming the retina.
A diverse group of experienced retina specialists at the Institute will take a multi-disciplinary approach to attacking these problems. The following research initiatives are currently underway at the Infirmary:
Photodynamic therapy is the most promising treatment in the near term for isolating and safely destroying unwanted blood vessels on the retina. This approach involves injecting a photosensitizing dye that is then activated by a low-intensity laser light to seal off blood vessels without harming the retina. Data from ongoing clinical trials suggests that photodynamic therapy offers the first breakthrough in treating AMD. If successful, this technique will also be investigated as a potential treatment for diabetic retinopathy and neovascular glaucoma. Dr. Joan W. Miller and Dr. Evangelos Gragoudas have earned international recognition for the development of this experimental treatment.
Very low doses of proton beam irradiation offer alternatives to laser treatment. Dr. Evangelos Gragoudas was the first physician in the world to use proton beam irradiation to successfully treat ocular melanoma. In collaboration with Dr. Joan Miller, he is now exploring the potential of proton beam irradiation as a treatment for AMD. One advantage of proton beam irradiation is that it can be very precisely focused on blood vessels in a very small area of the retina, thereby sparing healthy eye tissue. Pilot studies suggest that proton beam irradiation may stabilize or even improve vision in patients with these conditions.
Surgery may be effective in treating advanced cases of AMD and diabetic retinopathy. However, such surgery is especially challenging because of the delicate nature of the retina. Dr. Donald D'Amico is pioneering the use of the erbium: YAG laser to remove fibrous tissue and abnormal blood vessels to restore failing vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy. In collaboration with Dr. Jorge Arroyo, he is developing new surgical techniques to remove scar tissue caused by AMD and to repair retinal detachments that often result when diabetic retinopathy goes untreated.
(See also Anti-angiogenic Therapy with macugen for Patients with Choroidal Neovascularization)
Drug treatments may become a powerful weapon in the fight against AMD and diabetic retinopathy. Drs. Anthony Adamis, Evangelos Gragoudas, and Joan Miller recently made a dramatic breakthrough in discovering that a protein, "vascular endothelial growth factor" (VEGF), appears to be responsible for stimulating the growth of unwanted blood vessels in the retina and elsewhere in the eye. They are now working with pharmaceutical companies testing drugs to block VEGF and to prevent these blood vessels from forming. In addition to looking for a VEGF inhibitor, these physician-scientists are exploring new ways of delivering drugs to the retina which would offer both greater effectiveness, and protection from side effects.
The Retina Research Institute will attack these two leading causes of vision loss - age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy - by creating a long-term, comprehensive research program. The Institute hopes to accelerate the pace of discovery by recruiting additional retina experts to work with the Infirmary's highly respected team of physician-investigators on these and other pioneering research initiatives. Eight thousand square feet of new laboratory space, equipped with the latest technology, will be renovated to accommodate approximately 12 Retina Research Institute physician-investigators and scientists.
A key member of the Institute's team will be a senior faculty investigator with expertise in the molecular biology and biochemistry of the retina. This investigator will study how the retina is altered biochemically in disease, building upon Dr. Adamis and Dr. Miller's research on VEGF inhibitors. A molecular biologist at the assistant faculty level will isolate and describe the genes associated with diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, paving the way for new gene therapies.
Working closely with these scientists will be as many as four additional junior investigators: a protein biochemist, a vascular physiologist, a physicist with expertise in imaging, optics, and lasers, and an ocular pharmacologist. These four investigators will explore improved systems for delivering photosensitizing dyes and drugs to the retina, as well as new techniques in laser surgery.
Research conducted by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary retina physicians and scientists is funded by competitively awarded National Institutes of Health grants, industrial sponsors, and gifts from generous individuals. For these studies to achieve their full potential, however, the Institute may need as many as nine new scientists and technicians and two new laboratories equipped with the latest research equipment. To meet this need, the Infirmary will raise $7,600,000 in gifts and grants from interested individuals and foundations. More than 25% of this money has already been given, even before plans to establish the Retina Research Institute were publicly announced.
Laboratory renovations and expansion
Equipment (laser confocal microscope, scanning laser ophthalmoscope, etc.)
Support for current physician-investigators
Support for new scientists
Total
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary invites people with an interest in preventing vision loss to join in this effort by giving generously. The success of the Retina Research Institute may help prevent vision loss in hundreds of thousands of people each year in the United States alone.
To learn more about how your gift can help, please call:
Bruce Jordan
Vice President of Development and Public Affairs
Development Office
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
243 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: 617-573-3342
Or click here to learn how to give.
 | We comply with the HONcode standard for
health trustworthy information: Verify here. |
|
|
|