Gene Therapy For Age-Related Macular Degeneration

The Research Foundation of the State University of New York
posted on 07/16/2009

The proposed treatment is designed to work with the dry form of AMD, to try to prevent the eye from further degrading. A plasmid, or ring of genetic material has been designed to carry a gene to the retina which would enhance the metabolic activity of retinal cells and hopefully prevent further cell death in the retina. It involves the use of a benign virus to transport the plasmid to the retinal cells.

Advantages

The technology is potentially safer, less costly and easier than current AMD treatments, which require technically difficult injections into the layer of cells just beneath the retina. It is delivered directly to affected tissues and is harmless to other tissues.

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

Gene-therapy is proposed for treating age-related macula degeneration (AMD). The proposed therapy is not intended to cure an individual of AMD but rather to retard the progressive degenerative changes caused by AMD. Because the precise molecular causes of AMD are not known the proposed strategy focuses on maintaining the health of cells in the eye that provide vision. The specific therapy is to inject into the human-eye a gene-carrying virus that is taken up by cells in the eye and expressed by those cells to enhance their survival.

File Number: R1560-110

Other Information: Principal Investigator: Robert B. Barlow Jr.

IP Protection

Patent Number(s):	60/783,699

License Online

This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Dr. Yalcintas at The Research Foundation of the State University of New York for more information.

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