BBC NEWS
Laser 'cure' for blindness tested
A ground-breaking laser treatment could prevent
millions of older people from going
blind, experts believe.
The technique helps reverse the effects of
age-related macular degeneration - the
leading cause of blindness in over 60s in the western world.
Developed by pioneering eye expert Professor John
Marshall of King's College London,
the laser returns the back of the eye to its youthful state.
Improvements to sight were reported in early proof of concept trials.
AMD affects more than 200,000 people in the UK and attacks the central vision.
This is potentially a huge breakthrough for millions of people across the world
Tom Pey of Guide Dogs for the Blind
It develops when a membrane at the back of the
eye becomes clogged with natural waste
materials produced by the light-sensitive cells, which clouds vision.
In youthful eyes, enzymes clear away the debris,
but as the ageing process sets in
this system can fail.
The painless "short pulse" laser works by
boosting the release of the enzymes to
clean away the waste without damaging the cells that enable us to see.
Prevention
Early tests proved promising in around 50 people
with diabetic eye disease - chosen
as a model because the problems develop faster than in AMD.
What this laser is doing is trying to treat the
underlying ageing process, as it
were, reset the clock so that you don't have the manifestations of visual loss
Professor Marshall
Professor Marshall now plans more studies in
patients already suffering from AMD
in one eye with the aim of saving the sight in
their better eye for as long as possible.
He said once people have advanced AMD in one eye,
studies show the condition usually
develops in the second eye in 18 months to three years.
"If you can delay the onset by three, four, six,
seven or 10 years, it's proof of
the principle," he said.
"What this laser is doing is trying to treat the
underlying ageing process, as it
were, reset the clock so that you don't have the
manifestations of visual loss."
He said the aim was to prevent damage and
preserve their sight for the rest of their
lives.
Professor Marshall said he hoped the treatment
would be available within two to five
years and one day people in their 40s who have a
family history of AMD could choose
to have the treatment as a way of preventing the onset of the condition.
Tom Pey, director of external affairs for Guide
Dogs for the Blind, which funded
the research, said: "This is potentially a huge
breakthrough for millions of people
across the world."
A spokeswoman for the Macular Disease Society
said: "If it is shown to work it is
an extremely exciting development and potentially a real breakthrough.
"It will not sadly be useful in those who have
already lost their sight to AMD, but
it may have great hope for the future."
There is currently no treatment for the most
common form of AMD - known as "dry"
AMD - which the new laser technique could prevent.
The more aggressive "wet" form of AMD - where new
blood vessels cause bleeding and
scarring behind the retina - can be stabilised with drugs.
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