Cytochalasin E


	Chapter 8



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	Cytochalasin E - Angiogensis Inhibitor


	National Institute of Health and Dr. D'Amato, a top Harvard Research Scientist, are developing a novel treatment for Age Related Macular Degeneration


	August, 2003

	Sometimes solutions to science's most puzzling questions can be found in the most unusual places. The miracle antibiotic penicillin was discovered by chance in a moldy, mal-functioning refrigerator tray.

	Taxol, the breakthrough drug for treating various female cancers, was found growing on the bark of a yew tree in the misty forests of the scenic Oregon coast. Today, one of the nation's top macular degeneration scientists, Dr. Robert D'Amato at Harvard, is using a product derived from a naturally occurring fungi to develop a treatment for the wet form of macular degeneration.


	People with wet macular degeneration lose more eyesight, more quickly and with less chance of recovery than any other type of eye disease. The wet form is characterized by the growth and bleeding of abnormal blood vessels across the macular area of the eye. The Macular Degeneration Foundation has pledged support for Dr. D'Amato's project to explore the use of a compound called Cytochalasin E (Cyto E) in the hopes that it will have beneficial effects. Cyto E is a natural product of a certain fungal species. Dr. D'Amato discovered that it inhibits the growth of new blood vessels (known as angiogenesis) in animals. It is hoped that Cyto E will be able to block the growth of the abnormal blood vessels associated with the wet form of macular degeneration in humans. However, part of the challenge will be to deliver the compound to affected parts of the eye. Dr. D'Amato believes the solution lies in the use of time-released, biodegradable polymers that will allow doctors to administer precise dosages of the Cyto E compound locally to the eye. The Macular Degeneration Foundation and the NIH (National Institute of Health) consider this an exceptional research project worthy of continued financial support. Dr. Karl G. Csaky, M.D., Ph.D., Principle Investigator for the National Institute of Health, National Eye Institute, commented regarding our efforts to raise money in behalf of Dr. D'amato's project: "Foundations like yours are critical to the research efforts towards finding a cure for AMD. The specific effort (Cyto E) that your contribution supports is particularly exciting because of its aim to provide a noninvasive and highly effective treatment and prevention strategy for wet AMD. I think all of us involved in the project are highly optimistic that the treatment will provide much needed help in our ability to provide patients some measure of a useful therapy for this disease."


	The following article is presented as a PDF (Adobe Reader is required). It provides technical background information published in March of 2000.

		The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapudics

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