As an Ophthalmologist based in Mumbai, I often use my blog to explain complex eye care developments in an understandable way for the general public. I am Dr Navin Kumar Gupta, the Director of Shankar Netrika Eye Centre, a Comprehensive Ophthalmic Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre. I am not only a Medical Retina Specialist but also a Retina Fellow from University of California, Irvine, USA, Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA, and an Anterior Segment Fellow at Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.
My goal is to provide information about eye care and advancements in the field and to improve the visibility of my website https://shankarnetrika.com/. This would help me reach out to more patients requiring eye care services in Mumbai, including cataract surgery, laser, and lasik procedures. For more details, you can contact me, Dr. Navin Kumar Gupta, on 9920044620 or visit my clinic at G. D. Ambekar Marg, Kalachowky, Cotton Green, Mumbai.
Today, I am going to clarify a recent development in the eye care field. A critical drug named minocycline, an antibiotic used to reduce inflammation, was tested for its efficacy in slowing down the progression of vision loss in patients suffering from dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study was conducted by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Dry AMD primarily affects the macula, the part of the eye’s retina responsible for clear central vision. In dry AMD patients, the photoreceptors (cells that detect light) and the cells that support them start dying, leading to the formation of regions known as geographic atrophy. As these regions expand over time, the patient’s central vision progressively deteriorates. It has been observed that in dry AMD patients, microglia, the immune cells responsible for maintaining tissue and clearing debris, are found in higher numbers around the damaged retinal regions. Scientists speculate that inflammation, especially involving microglia, could be a significant factor in the geographic atrophy expansion.
The research, led by Dr. Tiarnan Keenan at NEI’s Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, aimed to test if using minocycline to inhibit microglia could slow down the expansion of geographic atrophy and the associated vision loss. The trial included 37 participants who were administered twice-daily doses of minocycline for two years. The study found no significant difference in the rate of geographic atrophy expansion or vision loss with the use of minocycline.
Minocycline has shown promising results in reducing inflammation and microglial activity in the eye, including the retina in previous studies. It has been beneficial in conditions like diabetic retinopathy, but this was its first trial for dry AMD.
This clinical study was carried out under the NEI Intramural Program and partly at the NIH Clinical Center (Clinical trial number NCT02564978).
Remember, understanding complex medical information can be challenging, but it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest advancements in eye care.
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