IMAGINE the horror of being told you are losing your sight and that nothing can be done to prevent it. This is the reality for millions of people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But a novel laser treatment technique gives hope that this leading cause of blindness in the West could one day be preventable.
Unpublished results from a successful pilot trial which ended last year, described to New Scientist, have left researchers scratching their heads as to exactly how it works. The findings also challenge ideas about the basis of the disease. A larger, randomised placebo-controlled trial is now under way. It's very early days but, if successful, the treatment could prevent vision loss in millions of people globally.
AMD corrodes the macula, a part of the retina at the back of the eye with the highest density of photoreceptors. The disease leaves people with a gaping hole ...
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