31 October 2018

Implant against macular degeneration

An eye implant has been created that prevents blindness

Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+

One of the main causes of blindness in the elderly is age–related macular degeneration, or macular degeneration. The implant, developed by Genentech, replaces regular injections in the doctor's office, with which the disease is being treated now.

With a more dangerous wet form of macular degeneration, blood vessels growing under the retina lead to detachment of its central part. As a result, a person loses the ability to see the center of the visual field.

In 90% of cases, blindness can be prevented with the help of the drug lucentis, which stops retinal detachment, according to a press release American Academy of Ophthalmology. Unfortunately, injections of the drug need to be done directly into the eyes, for which you have to visit a doctor every one and a half to two months.

Many elderly patients forget about the procedure or cannot attend it on time, which reduces the real effectiveness of lucentis by up to 50%.

The biotech company Genentech has figured out how to simplify therapy. They have developed a tiny implant – a little bigger than a grain of rice – which is implanted in the eye.

Once in the eye, the device gradually releases a supply of lucentis, which is stored in a built-in reservoir. If necessary, it can be replenished through a special port, which looks like a point hidden by the eyelid on the cornea.

Lucentis.jpg

In clinical studies involving 220 patients, it was found that the device treats wet macular degeneration as effectively as traditional injections. However, instead of visiting a doctor once every 2-3 months, it is enough for patients to replenish the stock of the drug once every 15 months.

Despite some side effects during the implantation process, in general, the system proved to be safe. Within three years, it can become available to patients.

In young people, vision problems are often associated with heredity. Modern methods allow us to help them as well. For example, a gene therapy developed in the UK can improve visual function in people with choroiderma. Its effectiveness has been confirmed during many years of testing.

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