Post by hans on May 17, 2005 11:39:59 GMT -5
I posted this on ezz board too. Just recently I received an e-mail from Jules Stein. they claim they are doing some research about floaters thanks to a private donation. (I wonder who this donator is...lol...must be someone very rich :-), perhaps some<moviestart who is troubled by floaters lol). Here it is:
A generous commitment made by private donor enabled UCLA’s Department of Ophthalmology to initiate an important research program to investigate vitreoretinal diseases, with an emphasis on the causes, effects, and mechanisms of floaters (protein or cells floating in the vitreous). The area of the eye between the lens and the retina is filled with a jelly-like substance known as the vitreous. When strands of collagen form in there, floaters sometimes occur. They look like small specks, cobwebs, or clouds that move through a person’s field of vision.
Currently, there is no treatment for floaters, and patients are often advised to learn to live with them. Although the number of people who have floaters is unknown, a few are affected so severely, that they are debilitated by the condition.
Support from the Vitreoretinal Research Fund has allowed the Ophthalmic Pathology Division to acquire and examine autopsied eyes in order to better understand the changes in the vitreous and the effects on the retina in vitreoretinal diseases. This analysis, on a molecular level, has provided us with a much clearer picture of how many forms of floaters there are and why they form. The study was unique both in size and scope.
Enclosed is a copy of the recently published manuscript that outlines the study and our observations. A number of new findings emerged, including the discovery of the true incidence of asteroid hyalosis (suspended spherical white bodies made of calcium salts) and the determination of the relationship to age and the refuting of a relationship to diabetes. In addition, an inverse relationship was found to detached vitreous, which suggests that the structure of the vitreous framework may be important in the formation of asteroid hyalosis. The work was published in Archives of Ophthalmology, a leading clinical journal in the field.
With additional funding, the second phase of the study can continue. This investigation will address the differences in the structure of the normal vitreous from that of patients with asteroid hyalosis. While the chemical composition of the floaters has been partially analyzed for mineral deposits, much work needs to be done to examine the protein components and the relationship to vitreous fibrils. These features will be examined with a newly developed technique called fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. With this method, we have demonstrated a complex calcium structure that requires further analysis. My colleagues and I continue to acquire material for this study with the ultimate goal of understanding vitreoretinal diseases, such as asteroid hyalosis, which will assist with prevention methods and treatment options.
Continued funding will allow us to further build on this work, which is expected to have a powerful impact on the future management of this common but disturbing condition
Attached is a brief report on the first phase of floaters research. We are awaiting further funding to continue further studies. Below is a link to the article published on this project:
archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/123/4/486
In order to view the article, you have to pay.tssssssssssssssss...
Greetzzzzz
Hans
A generous commitment made by private donor enabled UCLA’s Department of Ophthalmology to initiate an important research program to investigate vitreoretinal diseases, with an emphasis on the causes, effects, and mechanisms of floaters (protein or cells floating in the vitreous). The area of the eye between the lens and the retina is filled with a jelly-like substance known as the vitreous. When strands of collagen form in there, floaters sometimes occur. They look like small specks, cobwebs, or clouds that move through a person’s field of vision.
Currently, there is no treatment for floaters, and patients are often advised to learn to live with them. Although the number of people who have floaters is unknown, a few are affected so severely, that they are debilitated by the condition.
Support from the Vitreoretinal Research Fund has allowed the Ophthalmic Pathology Division to acquire and examine autopsied eyes in order to better understand the changes in the vitreous and the effects on the retina in vitreoretinal diseases. This analysis, on a molecular level, has provided us with a much clearer picture of how many forms of floaters there are and why they form. The study was unique both in size and scope.
Enclosed is a copy of the recently published manuscript that outlines the study and our observations. A number of new findings emerged, including the discovery of the true incidence of asteroid hyalosis (suspended spherical white bodies made of calcium salts) and the determination of the relationship to age and the refuting of a relationship to diabetes. In addition, an inverse relationship was found to detached vitreous, which suggests that the structure of the vitreous framework may be important in the formation of asteroid hyalosis. The work was published in Archives of Ophthalmology, a leading clinical journal in the field.
With additional funding, the second phase of the study can continue. This investigation will address the differences in the structure of the normal vitreous from that of patients with asteroid hyalosis. While the chemical composition of the floaters has been partially analyzed for mineral deposits, much work needs to be done to examine the protein components and the relationship to vitreous fibrils. These features will be examined with a newly developed technique called fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. With this method, we have demonstrated a complex calcium structure that requires further analysis. My colleagues and I continue to acquire material for this study with the ultimate goal of understanding vitreoretinal diseases, such as asteroid hyalosis, which will assist with prevention methods and treatment options.
Continued funding will allow us to further build on this work, which is expected to have a powerful impact on the future management of this common but disturbing condition
Attached is a brief report on the first phase of floaters research. We are awaiting further funding to continue further studies. Below is a link to the article published on this project:
archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/123/4/486
In order to view the article, you have to pay.tssssssssssssssss...
Greetzzzzz
Hans
