Macular Degeneration (MD) is a degenerative eye disease that causes the light sensing cells
in the macula, the central part of the retina, to deteriorate. The macula is responsible for clear and central vision. MD is the leading cause of blindness in
people over 55, and affects over 10 million Americans. This number
is expected to grow rapidly as the “Baby Boomer” generation ages.
Macular Degeneration is most common in people over the age of 60, at which point it is referred to as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). MD can occur in people of all ages, including children. There are two kinds of
MD, the wet and the dry form.
Wet AMD
Wet AMD, which affects roughly 10% of MD patients, occurs when abnormal blood
vessels form under the macula, a process called neovascularization. The new blood vessels are weak, and
eventually begin to leak or bleed fluid. The blood and fluid detaches the retina, which leads to painless but rapid vision loss. The initial signs of wet AMD are straight lines appearing blurred.
Dry AMD
90% of people with AMD have the dry form. Dry AMD
occurs when the light sensing cells in the macula begin to break down.
This gradually begins to blur central vision. Dry AMD can start as a
blurred spot in central vision. As
the macula looses functional abilities, central vision can get worse or
disappear completely. Dry AMD can also turn into wet AMD, and all those
with wet AMD had the dry form first.
In Dry AMD, yellow or white fatty extracellular material, called
"Drusen," appear on the Macula. A small amount of tiny drusen is normal
with advancing age, however the presence of larger and more numerous drusen is a common early sign of AMD. Whether drusen are a cause of
symptom of Dry AMD is not known.
One of the largest problems with AMD is the secondary response by the body's autoimmune system. In this, the Blood Eye Barrier (BEB) is breached, and white blood cells that are foreign to the eye invade the eye and attack its inner layers, leading to the destruction of tissue and, if untreated, blindness.
TheraKine's AngioKine™ is targeted to treat both forms of AMD by controlling the inflammatory response inside the eye.
For more information on AMD, its treatment and prevention see:
AMD.org
American Health Assistance Foundation
The National Eye Institute's (NEI) AMD page
American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF)
Video Explaining Wet and Dry Macular Degeneration