Eye MDs discuss new possibilities for the prevention and treatment of blindness

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Oct, 2002  

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Eye MDs (ophthalmologists) and researchers gathering in New Orleans for the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology looked into the future for potential therapies to prevent and even cure blindness.

The nutritional supplement Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) may hold promise in the treatment of glaucoma, Robert Ritch, MD, told Eye MDs attending the 2001 Glaucoma Subspecialty Day lecture at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Dr. Ritch, a noted glaucoma expert and professor and chief of the glaucoma service at Manhattan's New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, said that GBE might affect ocular blood flow, protect the optic nerve and affect the immune system, interfering with some of the suspected causes of nerve damage that can result in vision loss in people with glaucoma. Although GBE is the most documented of all herbal preparations, evidence of its effect on glaucoma has relied on inferential analysis rather than controlled studies of its safety and efficacy, so more investigation will be needed before physicians can tell patients whether taking GBE will benefit them, or in what doses.

People with vision loss from optic nerve damage (commonly caused by injury, stroke or infection) may someday be able to see again, thanks to ongoing research into optic nerve regeneration, Neil R. Miller, MD, professor of ophthalmology, neurology, neurosurgery, and neuro-ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, told attendees at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in New Orleans.

Ophthalmologists have always believed that the optic nerve (which carries the light perceived by the eye to the brain to be interpreted as images) cannot be protected or regenerated after injury or damage from illness. However, recent animal research findings have raised the real possibility that doctors may someday be able to use drugs or other methods to stop cell death, and develop strategies to regenerate damaged optic nerves. Researchers are investigating strategies such as adding or producing growth factors that are not normally present, or eliminating substances or pathways that prevent regeneration. Dr. Miller reported that each of these strategies has been successful to some degree. Dr. Miller says, "I tell patients that hopefully within the next decade, we'll involve human volunteers in some of this research. I believe that within the lifetimes of our 20-, 30- or 40-year old patients, we'll have ways to stimulate optic nerves for visual recovery."

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the largest association of eye physicians, and surgeons-Eye MDs-with more than 27,000 members. For more information about the Academy, visit the Academy's website at www.aao.org. For more information about eye care, visit the Academy's partner website, www.medem.com.

COPYRIGHT 2002 The Townsend Letter Group
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