Scientists find potential treatment target for leading cause of blindness [Video]

US scientists have found answers to why treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — a leading cause of blindness — does not benefit all; and also developed a potential antibody treatment.

AMD is a condition characterised by abnormal blood vessel growth in the back of the eye.

Older age, diabetes, obesity, and many other chronic metabolic diseases lead to excessive vascular growth and damage to the macula — the part of the eye that translates light into image signals.

The first line of defence is usually the Anti-VEGF therapy, which blocks vascular endothelial growth factor and keeps excessive blood vessel growth at bay. However, it only works well for around a third of patients, said the team from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG).

“Fibroblast cells” are the reason, they found.

“Collagen and many other proteins produced by these fibroblast cells accumulate outside of the vascular cells and eventually lead to fibrosis or scarring in the …