Aging of the Visual system

Dr. Thomas P. Sakmar

Rockefeller University

The Chromophore Regeneration Pathway in Age-related Macular Degeneration
2000 Senior Scholar Award In Aging
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly population. However, little is known about the etiology and molecular pathophysiology of AMD. AMD is characterized clinically by mottling of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) at the posterior pole of the... >> MORE

Dr. Hui Sun

University of California - Los Angeles

The Double-edged Sword of a Human Polymorphism Associated with a Major Aging Disease
2006 New Scholar Award In Aging
The large increase in human life expectancy during the last century has been accompanied by a significant increase in the incidence of aging diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is now the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly in Western societies. Recent... >> MORE

Dr. Josephine Hoh

Yale University

Trans-Racial Gene Mapping for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
2005 New Scholar Award In Aging
We have uncovered the complement factor H (CFH) being a major gene for Caucasian patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). At present, little is known about differences in genetic risk factors contributing to AMD among various ethnic backgrounds. Are the specific clinical feature... >> MORE

Dr. Cindy X. Cai

Tufts University School of Medicine

Nuclear Ferritin May Protect Against Oxidative and Light-induced DNA Damage in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells
2003 New Scholar Award In Aging

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in developed countries. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) degeneration initiates AMD. Oxidative stress has been suggested for RPE aging/degeneration. However, corneal epithelilal cells (CE) rarely suffer from...

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