Medical Retina Fellowship

National Eye Institute

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

A number of medical retinal protocols have been conducted at the National Eye Institute under the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications. This includes both interventional studies (phase I and/or or II) and natural history studies for multiple common and rare retinal diseases. These include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, macular telangiectasia, hydroxychloroquine retinal toxicity, central serous chorioretinopathy, inherited retinal diseases, and Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease. In addition, a screening study provides participants for potential recruitment to these trials and natural history studies. The interventional studies include those related to treatment with a microglial inhibitor for geographic atrophy in AMD; novel treatments for retinal disease in VHL (in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute); a gene therapy approach for X-linked retinoschisis; and a neuroprotective treatment for macular telangiectasia type 2. The natural history studies include multiple related to AMD (follow up of Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2; studies of dark adaptation in patients with AMD; the AMD Ryan Initiative Study; the geographic atrophy natural history study), as well as those related to hydroxychloroquine retinal toxicity and macular telangiectasia. The Biobank protocol includes collection of blood (DNA) for multiple retinal diseases. Other collaborative studies underway include retinal findings in individuals with HIV-related neurodegeneration (with NINDS), and genotype-phenotype studies of AMD (with NHGRI).