"Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an idiopathic retinal degenerative disease that predominates in the elderly in the Western world as a cause of irreversible and profound vision loss. AMD occurs in two major forms: atrophic (dry) AMD and exudative (wet) AMD that are both part of the same disease process and share similar risk factors. The atrophic AMD is characterized by RPE atrophy and subjacent photoreceptor degeneration and accounts for approximately 80~90% of AMD cases while the exudative AMD is characterized by choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and retinal hemorrhage. Photodynamic therapy, surgery, and anti-VEGF therapy are currently available treatments for AMD patients with CNV. However, no therapy is available yet for maintaining or improving vision associated with atrophic AMD since developing pharmacological approaches to prevent onset or progression of atrophic AMD faces significant hurdles including lack of understandings of the disease mechanisms, the paucity of experimental models for testing potential drugs, and established endpoints for clinical trials.
(Age-related macular degeneration- Challenges for Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research)."
Last date updated on September, 2024