According to a 2004 study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, by 2020 an estimated 3 million Americans will suffer from macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over 60.
Thanks to a new five-year study by researchers at UIC, there may be hope for treating many of these patients. By developing a nanotech structure -- an artificially generated molecule -- these researchers hope to provide a way to undo the damage done by this blinding disease.
Funded by a $6.3 million grant from the National Eye Institute, the study involves a cross-disciplinary team of researchers from 7 UIC departments and three other academic institutions. The study’s principal investigator is David Pepperberg, PhD, Searls-Schenk professor in UIC’s department of ophthalmology and visual sciences.
The project puts UIC at the vanguard of nanotech, the emerging technology used to create devices a nanometer -- one billionth of a meter -- in size. These nanotech devices can interact with molecules on the surface of cells, presenting a vast array of potential clinical applications.
While it will be a long time before all these nanotech structures are fully functional, Pepperberg and his colleagues believe their study holds great promise for future patients with degenerative retinal disease.
“We think our approach takes us in the right direction,” Pepperberg says. “Even if the ultimate goal is not fully accomplished in the current project, it will be achieved someday.”