Bristol: Adding a key protein to eye cells could help protect people aged 50 and over from the leading cause of vision loss, scientists have found in a new study.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD, a common condition affecting people’s sight) affects around 700,000 people in the UK and there is currently no effective treatment.
A study led by researchers at the University of Bristol found that increasing the amount of a protein called IRAK-M helps protect the retina.
The breakthrough could potentially pave the way for gene therapies that could protect against AMD by increasing the amount of IRAK-M, the researchers said.
“The findings suggest that increasing IRAK-M may be a potential treatment for AMD and may offer an interesting treatment for this common condition,” said Professor Andrew Dick from the University of Cambridge. I have had several therapies to no avail.
AMD usually affects people over the age of 50. Scientists do not know the ultimate cause of this condition, but it is linked to smoking, high blood pressure, overweight and family history.
This condition does not result in complete vision loss, but there may be difficulties in everyday activities such as reading, driving and recognizing faces.
