Multidisciplinary research to understand progression in early age-related macular degeneration
IOB is proud to be part of an international research team that received substantial funding (nearly £ 4 million) from the Wellcome Trust in July 2018 to explore what makes early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progress towards visual loss. The innovative five-year research project led by Principal Investigator Andrew Lotery from the University of Southampton has brought together experts in ophthalmology, genetics, statistics and computer science to collaborate on the project.
The study aims to teach computers to analyse high resolution images of the inside of the eye, to identify what eye changes appear in patients with AMD, and to identify the structural changes that lead to and are associated with cell degeneration in the retina in patients with early AMD.
AMD is a complex disease and a very common cause of age-related blindness. 200 million people are expected to be affected by 2020, increasing to nearly 300 million by 2040. AMD affects the macula, which is the central part of the retina that is responsible for detailed vision. Currently it is unclear which patients with early AMD will develop the blinding stage of the disease, and how fast individual patients will deteriorate.
Ghislaine Traber is running this research project at IOB and at the University Hospital Eye Clinic.
Other participating centers are the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) and the Medical University of Vienna. It also involves computer science and statistics experts at Imperial College, London and genetics experts at the University of Michigan.
For more information please contact clinicaltrialcenter@iob.ch