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THE MAGNIFIER Issue #31, May 17, 2005
Newsletter from the Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 531313 Henderson, NV 89053
http://www.eyesight.org
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SOLAR CELL EYE IMPLANT TRIALS UNDERWAY
Human Studies Aim to Verify Effectiveness of Artificial Retina
Betterhumans Staff www.betterhumans.com/news
"New human trials are underway for a retinal implant that promises to restore vision to people
suffering from eye disease. The implant, called the Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR), contains about 5,000 microscopic solar cells that convert light into electrical impulses. This procedure has also been referred to as
microchip implantation.
A silicon microchip is two millimeters in diameter and one-thousandth of an inch thick and is intended to replace damaged "light-sensing" cells of the eye called photoreceptors.
These
cells normally convert light into electrical signals within the retina. They are lost in people with retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.
The ASR was invented by Alan Chow of Rush University Medical center in
Chicago. Chow cofounded Naperville, Illinois-based Optobionics to develop the chip. The new human trials are intended to independently validate previous studies performed by Optobionics.
Trials are being carried
out in the U.S. at Rush University, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore and Emory University School of Medicine/Atlanta VA Medical Center. The trials build on the study of 10 people completed in 2002 who all reported some
degree of improvement in visual function.
They will involve randomly selecting which eye will receive the ASR chip and preventing post-operative vision testers from knowing which eye received it. Subjects participating in
the study will be followed for two years as part of the study, and then indefinitely.
On January 25, ophthalmologists at Rush implanted ASR microchips into the eyes of four people with vision loss caused by retinitis
pigmentosa who were all legally blind.
The surgical procedure begins with tiny incisions in the white part of a subject's eye, each incision no larger than the diameter of a needle. Through these, surgeons insert a miniature
vacuuming device that removes the gel in the middle of the eye and replaces it with saline.
They then make a tiny opening in the retina through which they inject fluid to lift up a portion of the retina from the back of the
eye. This creates a small pocket just wide enough to accommodate the ASR. The surgeons then enlarge the pocket opening and insert the implant. Finally, they reseal the retina over the ASR and insert air into the
incisions. The air bubble is absorbed and replaced by fluids created within the eye. Patients leave the hospital the same day as their procedure.
Accordng to Chow, "The use of the subretinal space to hold a
device that artificially stimulates the retina seems a logical step in replacing the loss of photoreceptor cells of the retina. If the implant is tolerated well and is able to successfully stimulate the retina, it may open up
new opportunities for restoring sight in patients with the end stages of retinitis pigmentosa." The success of this procedure could later benefit patients with other eye conditions such as macular degeneration.
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NEWLY PUBLISHED RESEARCH SHOWS AVOCADOS ACT AS "NUTRIENT BOOSTER"
Good Fat in Avocados Increases Absorption of Disease-Fighting Nutrients
IRVINE, Calif-(BUSINESS
WIRE)-March 3, 2005-Research findings published in this month's issue of the Journal of Nutrition indicate that avocados act as a "nutrient booster," allowing the body to absorb significantly more heart-healthy and
cancer-fighting nutrients like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene found in fruits and vegetables.
According to Dr. Steven Schwartz from Ohio State University: "Many fruits and vegetables are rich in beneficial
carotenoids, but most fruits and vegetables are virtually fat-free, which may limit the body's ability to absorb some of these nutrients. Our latest research shows that the natural fat content in avocados increases carotenoid
absorption, which offers nutritional advantages over other sources of fat such as salad dressings."
Dr. David Heber, professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine and author of "What Color Is Your
Diet?," concurs with Dr. Schwartz. "While it is well-known that fats help in the absorption of colorful compounds that are good for you such as lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark greens, the good fats from olives
and avocados are better for you than many processed salad dressings made with hydrogenated vegetables oils."
Ounce-per-ounce, avocados rank highest in monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, folate, potassium, magnesium,
lutein, beta-sitosterol and glutathione, compared to other commonly eaten fruits. According to the Food and Drug Administration, diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic
diseases including macular degeneration. California avocados are a part of the National Cancer Institute's National 5 A Day program. For more nutrition information, please visit www.avocado.org.
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CONTACTING MDF
To speak to a support representative directly, you may call 1-888-633-3937. If you reach our voice mail, please speak slowly and distinctly.
ORDERING BOOKS & TAPES
When purchasing items from Amazon.com, please remember to use the MDF search box located at http://www.eyesight.org/Books/books.html . By simply originating your search from our website, Amazon
rewards the Foundation with a small commission from each product you order. Thank you.
MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS:
Please make checks payable to Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, Nevada
89053, or you may use your credit card on our web site http://www.eyesight.org/Donations/donations.html . Your contributions make our services available as a support system for macular degeneration patients in the following
ways:
1. We provide toll-free lines for personal contact assistance.
2. We mail brochures and other printed materials upon request.
3. We support an award-winning web site that provides the latest up-to-date
information.
4. We fund research proposal grants to provide therapies for both the wet and dry form of AMD. Contributions marked "research" are used 100% for research.
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MDF was founded in 1992 by Edmund J. Aleksandrovich Ph.D (a victim of macular degeneration). It provides MD patients and their families with the information necessary to understand the disease, the latest news
concerning ways to cope with the disease, and supports the efforts of researchers to find a cure.
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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