Retinal Degeneration Can be Prevented with Nanotechnology Gene Therapy

Nanoparticle protects eyes from retinal diseases.

2010-10-01

GOLDEN, CO, October 01, 2010 (Press-News.org) Researchers from Tufts University published results from a study showing vision-saving gene therapy to the eyes can be delivered via nanotechnology. A protein called Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurtrophic Factor (GDNF) can protect the eyes from diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The previous method for delivering genetic material with a virus had several problems and side effects.

Although the study is in its infancy, and the results are temporary, mice injected with the GDNF carrying nanoparticle had a 3.9 to 7.7-fold reduction in damage to the retina. Seven days after treatment, the GDNF-nanoparticle treated mice had up to 39% better eyesight than mice in the control group. Two weeks after the treatment, GDNF-nanoparticle-injected mice had nuclear layers of the retina that were almost 24 to over 39 percent thicker than control mice. However, after 14 days, these advantages seem to have vanished.

According to Dr. Brett Katzen of the Katzen Eye Group, and a member of eyes.com, "The idea of using gene therapy to help cure - or at least improve - the eyesight of patients with macular degeneration should be exciting to eye doctors everywhere. This is a great first step."

The research shows an incredible potential for nanotechnology to develop an effective carrier for delivering gene therapy. This therapy can then lead to a new generation of treatments for retinal diseases. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Americans over the age of 65. There is currently no treatment for reversing this disease.

For more information about the Katzen Eye Group in Lutherville, Baltimore, or Towson, Maryland, please visit their website at www.katzeneye.com today. To research a particular vision disorder, eye condition, or any other eye care topic, please visit www.eyes.com today.

About Katzen Eye Group

The doctors and staff of Katzen Eye Group have served the residents of Baltimore since 1968 when Dr. Katzen's father began the practice with a secretary and a single patient. Today, the practice has grown into the largest private eye care practice in the state of Maryland.

Website: http://www.eyes.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Criminal Deportation for Dangerous Drugs on the Rise

2010-10-01

As the debate over illegal immigration continues to grip the country, the increasing number of criminal immigrants being deported could reach record levels. In 2009, the United States deported nearly 390,000 people according to the Department of Homeland Security. This number represents a 5 percent increase from 2008 and more than triples the number of deportations in 2001. Of the 390,000 people removed from the country last year, over 128,000 were considered criminal immigrants and nearly 30 percent of those were deported for crimes involving dangerous drugs. According ...

Georgia's Medical Malpractice Limitations Period

2010-10-01

Georgia statutes provide a two year statute of limitations to bring a claim for medical malpractice. Recently, the Georgia Court of Appeals addressed the issue of whether fraud or concealment on the part of a health care provider would toll the limitations period in Wilson v. Obstetrics & Gynecology of Atlanta, P.C. In January of 2001, Kent and Lise Wilson gave birth to a daughter, Karah Alena Lindsey. The Lindseys contend that during the labor and delivery process, a certified nurse practitioner of Obstetrics & Gynecology of Atlanta, P.C., (OB/GYN of Atlanta) and other ...

Red Wing Sex Offender Gets Eight Years

2010-10-01

"That means you're going to prison Mr. Morales, and you certainly deserve to go to prison." Those were the words of First District Court Judge Thomas Bibus as he sentenced Valentin Fuerte Morales, 37, of Red Wing, to eight years in prison for the assault of an eight-year-old girl and making sexual contact with her nine-year-old sister. Morales had a "significant relationship" over the girls, meaning that he lived with the girls at the time of the assaults. Over a year of molestation ended when the girls' father discovered the abuse and called the authorities. At ...

CSA Aims to Curb Trucking Accidents

2010-10-01

Trucking companies and their drivers have been preparing for a new safety initiative that will have a major impact on the industry. The Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) is designed to limit the number of serious trucking accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration created the program to find unsafe drivers and companies before they cause serious injuries to other drivers by using a three-part process consisting of measurement, evaluation and intervention. The CSA will be rolled out to states throughout the next year. New Jersey was part of the ...

The H-1B Visa and Its Impact on Foreign Relations

2010-10-01

America's H-1B Visa allows qualified foreign workers temporary entry into the United States for the purpose of undertaking employment. The H-1B Visa also entitles a worker's spouse and children to live in America, and is one of the most sought after non-immigrant visas. However, this visa only applies to foreign workers who meet certain criteria, and unlike many other visa programs, an American employer must petition United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") on behalf of a prospective foreign employee. Despite the complications involved in an H-1B ...

Burn Injuries: The Tragic Aftermath of Fires in the Home

2010-10-01

On the morning of September 7, the Colorado Springs Fire Department responded to a house fire on Annanhill Place road. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they discovered that the homeowner, Nam Nyugen, had jumped from a second story window to escape his burning home. Nyugen suffered horrific injuries from the fire, as agonizing burns covered more than 50 percent of his body. The cause of the Colorado Springs fire is still under investigation, but reports from Nyugen's wife make it sound like the fire began in the upstairs bedroom. She told reporters that she heard ...

The Gray Divorce: Baby Boomers Are Ending Marriages Later in Life

2010-10-01

News this summer that the 40-year marriage of Al and Tipper Gore is coming to an end underscores a recent trend in American matrimony: couples who have made it through decades of family rearing and career building are parting ways in unprecedented numbers. American baby boomers are splitting up at three times the rate of their Greatest Generation parents. And statistics reveal that women in this demographic are far more motivated to dissolve their unions than their husbands. A recent survey of divorce professionals in the United States and Canada conducted by the Association ...

Can the Chicken Safely Cross the Road? Confusion Over Crosswalks

2010-10-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that, on average, a pedestrian is injured in a traffic crash every eight minutes. In addition, studies show that there is confusion among pedestrians and drivers when determining who has the right of way at intersections. This confusion, along with other problems, likely contributes to the high number of pedestrian injuries and deaths from auto accidents. Pedestrian and Driver Confusion About the Right of Way According to a Transportation Research Board study, less than half of the drivers and pedestrians ...

Successful Business Succession: Preserving and Passing on Wealth

2010-10-01

The day-to-day fight for survival often consumes much of a small business owner's time and energy. Little is left over for thoughts of retirement and plans for passing the business on to another. However, a sound business succession plan is crucial to preserving a business owner's life's work and wealth. Every day brings a business owner closer to the time when they hand over the business to an heir, spouse, partner, or other person or entity. As with almost all successful business ventures, planning is key to proper execution of succession. First Step The first ...

Preventing Sleep-Deprived Driving for Commercial Truck Drivers

2010-10-01

Howard Fields, a 60-year-old truck driver, was on a trip that took him through Atlanta on Interstate 75. In the early hours of the morning, his truck slammed into another tractor-trailer. The incident ended Fields' 21-year trucking career and cost his company half a million dollars. An investigation of the crash revealed that Fields had been asleep for almost five miles before the crash occurred. Sleep deprivation is to blame for almost 100,000 motor vehicle accidents and 1,550 fatalities per year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety ...

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers find community health workers play critical role in coordinating asthma care across home, school and community

Retinal Degeneration Can be Prevented with Nanotechnology Gene Therapy

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: