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THE MAGNIFIER - Electronic Newsletter
Issue #17, December 23, 2003
Produced by:
Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 531313 Henderson, NV 89053
http://www.eyesight.org
CONTENTS:
MACULAR DEGENERATION FOUNDATION
2003 RECAP & UPDATE
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FIRST OF ALL:
The MD Foundation would like to thank you, our Magnifier subscriber, for your interest in macular degeneration updates. Without your support this foundation
would not exist.
WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION ABOUT:
The founder of MDF, Edmund Aleksandrovich, is a macular degeneration victim. MDF was founded in 1992 for the purpose of providing information and support to MD
patients and as a "Foundation to Restore Vision" Research foundation.
1. The emphasis of the Macular Degeneration Foundation is "Research to Restore Vision". The CYTO E compound, developed by Dr.
Robert D'Amato, Harvard University research scientist, is still in the animal model stage of trial. This new compound will eradicate the new blood vessel growth associated with the wet form of macular degeneration. CYTO
E, along with a minimally invasive drug delivery system, will provide a revolutionary new treatment for wet macular degeneration. The foundation has pledged our full support to bring this project to completion. We
expect the trials to progress to Macular Degeneration patients within the next year.
2. Thousands of MD victims rely on the Foundation for counseling support and compassionate assistance. This is done through our
toll-free telephone counseling support line as well as our award winning, multi-national website (www.eyesight.org). Receiving an average of 18,000 hits a day, eyesight.org offers a variety of practical and scientific information
along with the latests news regarding macular degeneration.
3. The Foundation receives hundreds of requests for information, requiring hours of research, and responds faithfully by either e-mail or via regular mail.
4. We are also involved in research designed to help people with the dry form of macular degeneration using a non-invasive system that stimulates the eyes with microcurrents.
Through the generous contributions from
our subscribers, it will only be a short time before new therapies will become available. Our goal is to find a low-invasive treatment for the wet form and a non-invasive treatment for the dry form of macular degeneration.
THIRTY YEARS OF ANGIOGENESIS RESEARCH:
A Symposium in Honor of Dr. Judah Folkman - February 28, 2003
Macular Degeneration Foundation proudly participated in the sponsorship of this symposium. There is a direct
correlation between inhibiting cancer tumor growth and inhibiting new blood vessel growth in wet macular degeneration. The same compounds that act as inhibitors to "starve" cancerous tumors also eradicate new blood
vessel growth that plague wet macular degeneration patients.
ARVO MEETING 2003
The Association for Research In Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) met in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida May 5 - 10, 2003.
Delegates from MDF
attended this international, scientific vision conference. Annually, there are over 10,000 researchers and scientists who attend this conference to submit scientific papers, posters, or attend meetings on the latest
developments in eye science. Some of the topics of interest at this year's conference were:
Stem Cell Research
Retinal Pigment Epithiliem Cell transplant
Genetic mapping
Pathobiology of Aging and ARMD
ARMD an Inflammatory Disease?
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
In May, 2003, Dr.
Csaky, Principal Investigator for the NEI, and Dr. Robert D'Amato, Harvard research scientist, met with officers from MDF to secure funding for the development of CYTO E (cytochalasin) and the new polymer delivery system.
Results from this potential therapy are expected in the next year.
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
A valuable relationship in research support was formed.
December 11 - 12, 2003, representatives from the MDF met with Dr.
Robert Snyder, Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Arizona, and his "team" of researchers to discuss their on-going research projects and to tour this outstanding ophthalmology research
center. The Southwest Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research Program is dedicated to retinal disease, specifically the elimination of ARMD. Their program goals include developing better surgical and non-surgical
treatments for ARMD, understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ARMD, and bringing new ideas into ARMD research through collaborations with UA colleagues.
http://www.eyes.arizona.edu/ARMD.htm
AOL Users:
<a href="http://www.eyes.arizona.edu/ARMD.htm">University of Arizona</a>
KARL CSAKY, MD, PhD PRESENTS SEMINAR AT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
MDF staff attends seminar December 12, 2003
Dr.
Csaky's seminar titled, "The Choroid, Bone-Marrow Cells and Choroidal Neovascularization, Is There a Connection?" was designed to present new scientific and clinical data to help scientists and clinicians studying
choroidal neo-vascularization. Dr. Csaky discussed the aspects of high-speed indocyanine green angiography as it applies to retinal disease and the role of endothelial precursor cells in choroidal neovascularization.
NEW WAY TO DONATE
We've added a new feature to eyesight.org. Now, when making an online contribution, you may dedicate your donation in honor of another person in connection with a special occasion (like an
anniversary, wedding, holiday, etc.). We enter those names and occasions into our "In Honor of" database and make them available to friends and family to see over the Internet. Your donation now honors both
the victums of macular degeneration and a person of your choice.
http://www.eyesight.org/Honors/honors.html
AOL Users: <a href="http://www.eyesight.org/Honors/honors.html">"In Honor of"
Database</a>
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The MAGNIFIER is sent without charge. Contributions are appreciated and may be sent in care of the Macular Degeneration Research Fund, P.O. Box 531313,
Henderson, NV 89053
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Subscribers who wish to cancel their subscription or change their email address may visit: http://www.eyesight.org/Newsletter/newsletter.html .
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