Beginning of The Achiever SUMMER EDITION JANUARY 2008 Top of Front Page Beginning of Article INSIDE From the President Page 2 World Congress Page 3 New Gene & Blindness Page 4 Lucentis now on PBS Page 5 Blind Pilot flight Page 6 Research News Page 7 Great Ocean Road Tour Page 9 Cars of the World Page 10 VLBA Funding Page 11 Kath Halbish honoured Page 11 New Admin Manager Page 11 More Research Page 12 End of Article Beginning of Article STABILITY & ADVANCEMENT - Victorian Ladies Bowling Association raises $112,000 for Retina Vic! - Prof. Robyn Guymer speaks at the AGM - Public awareness success at both 75th Great Ocean Road & Cars of the World events - Major research developments here and overseas End of Article Bottom of Front Page The Achiever Top Of Page 2 Beginning of Article From the President Firstly, on behalf of the Board I would like to extend my apologies to members for the lack of the December issue. There has been no holiday though! All the Board and some volunteer members have been working extremely hard on a number of facets. In October 2005 I inherited an organization that had come through a rough time, but needed a little extra boost. Along with a hard-working Board Retina Australia Victoria now sees itself in the most financially sustainable position since its inception in the late 1970’s. Generation of income is possibly the most time consuming part of managing a non-profit organization. Our ultimate aim is to put all efforts to raise awareness for retinal diseases the oyster coming from stable long-term income sources. Retina Vic is now in a fortunate position having received $112,000 from the VLBA in August. This funding boost is to benefit the acquisition of upgraded technology & expansion of support programs and public awareness campaigns. At our October AGM we were pleased to welcome Robyn Guymer who gave a local and global update to research and treatments to an audience of 35 members. A month later and it was time to celebrate 75 Years of the Great Ocean Road. This event provided a huge amount of exposure for the awareness of retinal dystrophies across Victoria. This was followed a week later with the fourth Cars of the World event at the Morning Star Estate. Among many goals for 2008 is to increase the level of active volunteers. More people are required to spread the load of work involved behind the scenes. The vision is ours, Charles Rogers President Vice-President Jane Evans Secretary Rosemary Boyd Treasurer Graham Owen Council members: Fiona McNabb, Leighton Boyd & Rick Clarke Vision 2020 Australia Representative David Foran Administration Officer Mary Maga End of Article Bottom of Page 2 The Achiever Top Of Page 3 Beginning of Article RETINA INTERNATIONAL 15th WORLD CONGRESS INFORMATION Maija Lindroos, President, Retina Finland The 15th Retina International World Congress will be held in Helsinki next summer. Here in Finland the preparations are advancing and presently we are starting to get to the final stage of the work. The scientific program for the congress is ready. The invitations have been sent to the speakers. The exact dates for the congress will be Friday, the 4th, and Saturday, the 5t" of July, 2008. The time of the year is the most luminous here in the north and, therefore, often said to be "nightless". We have chosen Finlandia Hall in the centre of Helsinki as the congress venue. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto, a world-famous Finnish architect, and has been the seat for several international congresses and meetings of world leaders. The official languages of the congress are Finnish and English. Thanks to the technology we have the opportunity of arranging simultaneous interpretation in several languages. If a larger number of participants are coming from your society to Finland and you wish to get interpretation in, for instance, French, Italian or Japanese this will be technically possible. You can bring your own interpreter with you or we can find you one here in Helsinki. You will pay for all the costs of the interpreter and Retina Finland will pay for the technical arrangements. We have succeeded in negotiating good deals with two high class hotels, the Crowne Plaza and the Scandic Continental near Finlandia Hall. Staying in these hotels will cost about 110 Euros per night in a double room. The price includes a very generous buffet breakfast. The walking distance to Finlandia Hall is 5 to 10 minutes. Opposite the hotels is the big Hesperia Park where the RI Running Club can go for their morning jog. Besides these hotels we offer an even more affordable alternative at Domus Academica, a summer hotel, which is situated a bit further away. The walking distance to Finlandia Hall is about 20 to 30 minutes. A single room costs 50 Euros and a double room 70 Euros per night. Rooms for three or four persons are also available. Domus Academica functions as a dormitory for students in winter so there is no luxury in the rooms. Each room has a toilet, shower, and a small kitchen. In the lounge there is a TV-set and some computers. The hotel has a sauna and a small swimming pool. The social program for the congress days has been confirmed. The Speakers' Dinner will be held in Suomenlinna on Friday evening. Suomelinna is the historical sea fortress on the islands just off the coast of Helsinki. The area was included in the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1991. On Saturday we end the congress in a festive way with a Gala Dinner celebrating also the 30-year existence of Retina International. According to the tradition the business meetings of Retina International will take place in connection with the congress. We have built up the program so that we can arrange alternative programs for those in the party who are not official delegates. The days for the business meetings are: Monday, June 30th, Retina International Management Committee Meeting Tuesday, July 1St, Continuous Education Wednesday, July 2nd, General Assembly The meeting on Monday will be held at a hotel. The business meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday ,will take place at liris - The Service and Activity Centre for the Visually Impaired. Continued next page Bottom of Page 3 The Achiever Top Of Page 4 From previous page According to the feedback from earlier congresses we have dedicated the whole Thursday for social activities. The participants have the opportunity of getting familiar with Finnish nature. We will make a trip to a national park near Helsinki where we can canoe, hike and bathe in a sauna. Alternatively participants can get acquainted with the colourful history of the sea fortress of Suomelinna. A partly separate program has been planned for the Retina International Youth participants. More information can be found on our website http://www.retina.fi/R12008/conqress.html or for information by email: maiia.lindroos@)pp.inet.fi In the beginning of December the First Announcement will be published on our website. It will contain more detailed information both on the scientific and the social program as well as on fees and ways of payment. End of Article Beginning of Article New gene linked to blindness: McGill researcher by Kazi Stastna Published in The Gazette, CanWest Media Works Publications Inc. Copyright. Right to publish granted to Retina Australia Monday, June 04, 2007 McGill University researcher Robert Koenekoop's discovery of a new gene linked to congenital blindness couldn't have come at a better time. The publication on Sunday in the journal Nature Genet ics of his and his colleagues' findings on LCA5, one of the genes responsible for Leber Congenital Amaurosis, or LCA, the leading cause of congenital blindness in infants and small children, comes mere weeks after the start of the first human gene therapy trial. That trial, under way in London, U.K., and Philadelphia, will attempt to replace another defective gene linked to LCA, known as RPE65, but has implications for the five per cent of LCA patients whose disease is linked to the gene Koenekopp discovered and for the rest of the 200,000 people world-wide born with LCA, half of whom are in Canada. "Until a few years ago ... we didn't know anything about what caused the disease and we had absolutely no treatments or even any ideas," Koenekoop, who heads the McGill Ocular Genetics Centre, said yesterday. It took nine years to bring RPE65 from gene discovery to the human clinical trial stage, but Koenekoop is hoping to do the same for LCA5 in only two or three years. Gene replacement trials on lab mice are to begin at McGill this summer. For Khadija Hilali the news that researchers had identified the specific gene that caused her 7-yearold daughter Ikrame to be born partially blind was exhilarating. "I can't describe my feelings when I heard it , " she said. " I t 's very important because when you identify the gene responsible for the il lness, it will be easier to treat it." Ikrame was one of two children studied by Koenekoop and his international team, which included MUHC molecular biologist Irma Lopez, Frans Cremers and Anneke den Hollander of Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and others. End of Article Bottom of Page 4 The Achiever Top Of Page 5 Beginning of Article GOOD NEWS FOR WET AMD PATIENTS - LUCENTIS now on PBS What is Lucentis? LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab) is a new drug that has been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme since 1 August 2007 for the treatment of wet age related macular degeneration. LUCENTIS® is administered by injection into the affected eye. The procedure to administer LUCENTIS® is performed by an eye specialist as a course of regularly scheduled injections. What is age-related macular degeneration? Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the name given to a group of degenerative diseases of the retina that cause progressive, painless loss of central vision. AMD affects a person's ability to see fine detail, drive, read, and recognise faces. In 2006, approximately 129,000 people were affected by the condition. This figure is expected to increase to 153,000 people by 2011. There are two main forms of AMD. The wet or neovascular form of the disease, which affects around half the population with AMD, causes scarring and loss of vision. If left undetected or untreated, rapid and severe loss of central vision can occur within a short period of time. The dry form of the disease is a slower form that causes gradual vision loss and cannot be treated. What does LUCENTIS do? LUCENTIS® is a new therapy that can slow the progress of AMD and in some cases restore some vision. For some patients this will be the difference between driving or not driving, being able to read a newspaper or book and undertake other daily activities without assistance. Who will benefit? It is expected that around 11,500 new patients will commence treatment with LUCENTIS® in the first full financial year of listing, increasing to 15,000 new patients by the fourth year. The numbers of new patients expected to be treated each year takes into account estimates regarding progression of the disease, the numbers of patients likely to achieve a long term benefit, expected rates of compliance and patients who will continue on alternative treatment with VISUDYNE®. How much will LUCENTIS® cost the patient? A patient treated with LUCENTIS® through the PBS will meet only the standard copayments of $30.70 for general patients and $5.00 for concessional patients. General patients who have reached the PBS safety net threshold will receive LUCENTIS® at the concessional rate of $5.00, while concessional patients will receive LUCENTIS® free of charge once the safety net threshold has been reached. End of Article Bottom of Page 5 The Achiever Top Of Page 6 Beginning of Article BLIND PILOT FLIES FROM LONDON TO SYDNEY Blind pilot Miles Hilton-Barber felt euphoric when he touched down at Sydney's Bankstown Airport, becoming the first blind man to fly halfway around the world. In doing so he hopes to raise $1.2 million for Seeing is Believing, which performs cataract surgery in developing countries. "Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a pilot," the 58-year-old said when his safety pilot Richard Meredith-Hardy landed their microlight plane, Stephanie, named after Mrs Hilton- Barber. "When I went blind, they said you'd never fly and, thanks to people like Richard, we've flown halfway around the world," he said, scruffing up his mate's hair. "I can hardly believe we've done it." Since the journey began in London on March 5, the pair have covered 21,000 kilometres, 21 countries, and endured extreme weather. "Sometimes, being blind is an advantage," Mr Hilton-Barber said. The adventurers were coated in ice when they soared through sub-zero temperatures 30,000 feet over the Lebanese mountains. Between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, they were forced to drop to a couple of hundred feet when they were caught in a monsoon. "We've flown through tropical storms so heavy that I thought Richard was flying through a waterfall," he said. Though he couldn't see the lightning flashes or cliffs Mr Meredith- Hardy was dodging, he peaked his other senses to survive the flight. Through a headset, he listened to the flight information he requested at the flick of a button on a switchbox strapped to his thigh. The switchbox was connected to a computer that could pick up information such as location and altitude. He navigated by typing planned flight co-ordinates into a wireless keyboard. "This is a very sensual aircraft," he said. "I can smell what's growing in the fields below. As we fly into places like Karachi, I can smell what's been cooked in the factories. "It's a very physical way to fly, very primitive." His colleague described the experience as "flying a motorbike in the sky". "It's real flying, you know," he said. "It's the difference between a car and a motorbike. If it rains, you get wet." Mr Hilton-Barber was inspired by his blind brother, who sailed solo from South Africa to Australia eight yeas ago. "That's what made me realise the problem in my life wasn't my blindness, it was my attitude to my blindness. "The only thing holding me back was five inches, the distance between my ears," he said. "Attitude is what determines altitude." The positive attitude pushed him on to conquer Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain and propelled him on his ascent of Mont Blanc, Europe's highest. He also set the Malaysian Grand Prix record for a blind driver and wants to be the first blind man to break the sound barrier in a jet aircraft. End of Article Bottom of Page 6 The Achiever Top Of Page 7 Beginning of Article IMPLANT TRIPLES ARMD SIGHT A tiny implantable telescope offers a new outlook for elderly patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The mini-scope has been shown to bring about a three-fold improvement in vision in patients with the central retina disease, which of ten leads to blindness. The pea-sized device is implanted in one eye where it enlarges central vision images and spreads them over a wide a rea of the retina. Degeneration of the macula results in the loss of fine-detailed central vision, producing a loss of important details like text or viewing faces. The non-implanted eye would be used for peripheral vision, which influences mobility and orientation. The prosthesis is implanted in an outpatient procedure, and offers sufferers a permanent solution for their vision loss, says manufacturer Visioncare, Inc. A study in the August Archives of Ophthalmology discusses techniques for implanting the scope. Authors note it improved vision by 67%. The prosthesis is awaiting FDA approval. -- Judah Issa, Saratoga, USA End of Article Beginning of Article A NEW STEM CELL PROCEDURE FOR RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (RP) "THE TEMPLAR AMNIOTIC STEM CELL IMPLANT" (TransWorld News) This procedure consists in an implant of amniotic membrane telomerase enhanced, rich in stem cells of embryonic type (but not of embryonic origin) performed on both temples of the recipient in a square area delimited by the superficial temporal segment of external carotid, its temporal and orbi tal branches and the orbi ts. (This descr ipt ion is intended to familiarize the reader with the area of implant and is not to be constructed as the exact anatomy of the area.) After local anaesthesia of the area the surgeon performs an incision 1/3 inch long on both temples, enters under the skin with a blunt instrument, and creates a pocket in which a certain amount of amniotic membrane is being introduced. The incision is then closed with a stitch and a band aid is applied. It is hypothesized, that after the implant, the stem cel ls f ind an eas y way to penet rate the ophthalmicartery , whose branches would become the central retinal artery and the ciliary arteries on either side of the optic nerve, and then enter the eye and the retina. It is assumed that the stem cells from the implant would be able to reach the retina in a matter of minutes. However in many cases the retinal arteries are closed showing the "waxy" colour, meaning that functionally they ceased to function. In order to penetrate these arteries or eventually open them, a feature that is considered impossible by the retina eye specialists, a strong blood vessel opener, Niacin the vitamin B3 vitamin in the B complex group of vitamins is being used. The use of Niacin induces almost instantly hot flashes on the face and head, with intense reddening of the face. These symptoms last minutes or hours, but are usually well supported by the majority of people using it. It should be noticed that simultaneously with the "Templar Implant" two other implants are performed on the lower part of the abdomen in the pubic area, where larger amounts of amniotic membranes are inserted (description of this technique can be found in our news release of July 23rd, 2007). They are intended to provide a steady release of stem cells that would circulate all over the body. As such, patients with RP and related c o n d i t io n s (Us he r ' s Syndrome, Stargardt disease) are receiving a total of four implants, two intended for the body as a whole, and two destined specifically to the eye and retina. Encouraged by the results obtained so far in RP, we plan to introduce the "Templar Implant: procedure to other conditions affecting the brain, namely Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and aging. The Templar Implant is performed, at the present time by Dr. Omar Gonzales, Stem Cell Pharma's Medical Director at a stem cell clinic in Mexico. End of Article Bottom of Page 7 The Achiever Top Of Page 8 Beginning of Article DNA Update A new faster method of combing a patient's DNA to identify identical genome variations on the mother's and father's side using collections of microscopic DNA spots known as microarrays allowed the scientists to use samples from only one patient per family, whereas in the past locating a gene required doing genetic tests on many affected and unaffected family members and could take years, not months. Once they narrowed down an area of the genome that had 10 possibly LCA-linked genes they looked for similarities with another known LCA gene called CEP290, which accounts for 25 per cent of LCA cases and was discovered by Koenekopp's team last year. That led them to the new gene, which is the eleventh to be linked to LCA thus far. (In each patient, LCA is caused by only one of these genes.) "What we're excited about is that these 11 genes we now know (about) take care of about 70 to 75 per cent of all the children i n the world with LCA," Koenekoop said. "We're thinking this is the first disease that will be completely characterized genetically." The recent study, funded in part by the Foundation Fighting Blindness in Canada, also showed that both LCA5 and CEP290 play a vital role in the functioning of the cilium, the tiny hairs whose wave-like motion moves thousands of proteins from the nucleus of the retina's photoreceptors to an area called the outer segment, where light is captured and vision begins. When you have mutations in LCA5 or CEP290, the vital proteins that make our vision work cannot get from the nucleus to the outer segment," Koenekoop said. Gene replacement therapy would restore that transporting function. The eye is especially suited to such therapy because it is more accessible than other organs to a surgical intervention and is isolated. That means the healthy gene, packaged in a safe, non-infect ious virus, can easi ly be injected in a tiny space under-neath the retina and will not spread to other parts of the body through the veins, as is the case with gene therapy using bone marrow, thus avoiding aggravating the immune system. "The surgery is relatively simple, but the actual construction of the gene is complex," Koenekoop said. Replacement of the RPE65 gene in dogs suffering from LCA has also shown that the healthy gene need only restore the retina partially to improve vision to a functional level. End of Article Bottom of Page 8 The Achiever Top Of Page 9 Beginning of Article VACC 75 Years’ Great Ocean Road Celebration Tour An approach in mid-2006 from Geelong Otway Tourism to support their celebrations for the opening of one of our most important man-made achievements instigated a one-off charity event for Retina Australia Victoria. This turned into a mammoth media event, particularly for our awareness raising. Not only did the four-day tour support our cause, but many of the 50 people participating in the tour shook rattle tins, which in itself raised some $1,300 Collaboration between Geelong Otway Tourism media staff and the marketing department of our naming- rights sponsor, the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce resulted in presence on Mike Larkan’s Channel Ten weather report on Friday 23 November, newspaper reports in The Weekly Times, The Age, Geelong Advertiser and several other local papers and numerous post event reports in magazines such as Australian Classic Car and Unique Cars. The VACC organised a terrific coup with 3AW who spoke to President Charles Rogers each night of the tour live on Bruce & Phil’s show. Member and associates should note that the tour was filmed from start to finish by ABC TV for their upcoming Travel OZ series, which goes to air in April 2008. The 75 Years’ celebration episode is due to air on Wednesday 11 June check your local guides closer to the time. A comprehensive story and photo gallery can be found online at www.carsoftheworld.com.au End of Article Bottom of Page 9 The Achiever Top Of Page 10 Beginning of Article 2007 Cars of the World Some five weeks from the event a decision was made to change venue from Point Nepean when negotiations with the Point Nepean Community Trust broke down. Fortunately, an alternate venue was found, and a successful event held for the fourth time. Mt Eliza’s picturesque Morning Star Estate hosted the 2 December event, which attracted some 250 vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Many Retina Vic member pitched in and volunteered during the day some in the stall, others rattling collection tins and taking entrance money on the gate. The two events raised much needed awareness for Retina Australia Victoria and have contributed a combined surplus of in excess $10,000 for Retina Vic to continue its services. The 2008 event will return to Morning Star on Sunday 23 November, and will include other activities such as games for all the family. End of Article Beginning of Article Entertainment Books Many of us during the recent Festive Season have gained a few pounds. The timing is right that the 2008-2009 Entertainment Book flyers will arrive by mid-February and will be distributed accordingly. We invite anyone who is keen to exercise to contact the office for extra flyers. You are welcome to distributed in letterboxes in your area all to help raise funds to continue our work. End of Article Bottom of Page 10 The Achiever Top Of Page 11 Beginning of Article VLBA Funding update Photocopier, database, screens, networking... The plan for the disbursement and investment of funds received from the Victorian Ladies Bowling Association’s generous donation to Retina Australia Victoria of $112,000 in August 2007 has been put into place. The initial stage has been completed with the acquisition of new technology to improve the offices services to members. This includes purchase of upgrades to computer software, including new versions of the MYOB Accounting system. Major components of upgrades include the Fuji Xerox all-in-one copier/printer/fax & scanner, four line Commander Telephone system and new database software. During this period Board members and volunteers have worked toward linking all computers to share all day-to-day files. This has brought to light numerous areas of duplication, which has also been seen in the sorting and mineralising of clutter in the three filing cabinets now we have just two! Over the coming 12-18 months the Board aims to further its desire to promote awareness throughout Victoria and broaden the scope of the Exploring Vision Loss workshops. End of Article Beginning of Article Kath Halbish honoured On Saturday 13 October 2007, at the Annual General Meeting of Retina Australia (Vic) Inc., the president, Charles Rogers, announced that Council had unanimously decided to offer Kath Halbish a life membership in recognition of her many years of support and volunteer service. Charles spoke briefly about all of the contributions which Kath had given during her many years as a Council member and volunteer. Kath was an exceptional Christmas Card Co-ordinator and she assisted with the Entertainment Book distribution and many other office duties as will as working within the peer support program and vision loss groups. Charles thanked Kath on behalf of all members for her wonderful work. This announcement was met with great acclamation by all present. Fellow life member Leighton Boyd, presented Kath with her framed Life Membership Certificate as a memento, and token of our appreciation, during the awards ceremony at the Cars of the World event on Sunday 2 December 2007. Congratulations Kath. End of Article Beginning of Article New Administration Manager appointed It is with great pleasure that we welcome Mrs Mary Maga as our new administration manager. Mary commenced working in our Ross House office on 8 February and she has already proven to be a real asset. Mary comes to us with a wealth of office experiences and has a vast practical knowledge of MYOB, the financial package we use. Mary replaces Julie-Anne Adams whose resignation was accepted by the Board in November. The Office will now be open on Tuesday and Thursday between 9am and 3pm and at other times by appointment. Welcome Mary. End of Article Bottom of Page 11 The Achiever Top Of Page 12 Beginning of Article RETINA AUSTRALIA FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS TWO RESEARCH PROJECTS TO BE SUPPORTED BY RETINA AUSTRALIA IN THE YEAR 2008 PROJECT TITLE: "Photoreceptor Degeneration in Retinitis Pigmentosa" CHIEF INVESTIGATORS: Michael Kalloniatis, Monica Acosta, Brendan O'Brien, Keely Bumsted O'Brien (University of Auckland); Erica Fletcher (University of Melbourne, Australia); Robert Marc (University of Utah USA) LAY DESCRIPTION: Retinitis Pigmentosa is a major retinal disease leading to functional blindness in approximately 1 in 3000 persons in developed countries. This project will use animal models of this retinal disease to study the processes of degeneration (onset, anatomical, and neurochemical) and changes that occur as a function of degeneration, particularly tracking ion entry into photoreceptors. Our working hypothesis is that unregulated ion entry is the underlying mechanism leading to photoreceptor death. We will therefore use isolated retinal preparations and electrophysiological techniques. These studies will include drug manipulation of ion entry. A positive outcome in this series of experiments will lead to therapeutic options aimed at slowing down the progression of retinal degeneration and thus providing a prolonged period of useful vision to sufferers of these degenerative conditions. We will also characterize the neuroanatomical and neurochemical characteristics of a cell class we have recently identified in the area of photoreceptor degeneration. AMOUNT of FUNDING: $40,000 PROJECT TITLE: "The Role of Purines in Photoreceptor Death during Retinal Degeneration" CHIEF INVESTIGATORS: Erica Fletcher, (University of Melbourne); Michael Kalloniatis (University of Auckland) LAY DESCRIPTION: This project will determine whether substances released from dying photoreceptors cause the death of neighbouring photoreceptors, and whether treatments that block the actions of these released substances can prevent the death of photoreceptors, thereby providing a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of eye disease. In our previous work we have shown that a compound called adenosine-tri-phosphate (ATP) excites photoreceptors. When cells die they release large amounts of ATP. In addition, our preliminary work shows that when ATP is found in high concentrations in the retina, it kills photoreceptors. Therefore we propose that when photoreceptor cells die in Retinitis Pigmentosa, they release large amounts of ATP, that excite neighbouring photoreceptors, to the point where these neighbouring cells die. This project has three parts: the first will examine the effects that extracellular ATP has on photoreceptors; secondly we will examine two animal models of retinal degeneration (rd mice, and Pro23His rats) to determine whether ATP is abnormal during the peak phase of photoreceptor death. Lastly, we will evaluate whether blocking the actions of the receptors that ATP bind to slows photoreceptor death in these two animal models of degeneration. AMOUNT of FUNDING: $32,203 End of Article Bottom of Page 12 The Achiever Top Of Page 13 Beginning of Article "Pacemaker for the eye" By THOMAS LEE, Star Tribune, January 24, 2008 ScyFIX Electricity has been used to shock hearts, ease pain and even treat depression. Now, apparently, it can even thwart blindness. ScyFix, a Chanhassen start-up, has developed a device that treats diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration by shooting electric currents into the eye. The company, which is conducting clinical trials in India and the United States, hopes to sell the first device approved by the Food and Drug Administration designed to restore eyesight. "To me, this is the pacemaker for the eye," said Dr. Darrell DeMello, ScyFix president and a former executive at Boston Scientific Corp. ScyFix, a featured new technology presenter at last month's annual Life Science Alley conference, hopes to eventually raise $60 million to $70 million to finish its clinical trials. Neuromodulation, or electric stimulation, first gained prominence in the 1960s through the use of deep-brain and spinal-cord stimulation to treat pain. Doctors at the time had begun to realize pain was not just the result of the direct activation of pain receptors but rather a complex series of electric and chemical interactions throughout the nervous system. Therefore, electricity could be used to manipulate those interactions. Medtronic Inc. laid the groundwork for the medical device boom in Minnesota by developing the implantable pacemaker, a device that uses electric impulses to regulate heartbeats. Today, companies like St. Jude Medical and Uroplasty are developing implantable devices to fight chronic pain and incontinence. Doctors are also harnessing electricity to treat Parkinson's disease, deep depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder. But until now, the idea to use electricity to slow or even reverse the effects of eye diseases like glaucoma has never made it out of a laboratory, said Dr. Thomas Samuelson, a founding partner of Minnesota Eye Consultants. Samuelson, an ophthalmologist, recently developed a new surgical procedure to treat glaucoma in a minimally invasive way. Neuromodulation for the eyes is "nowhere near the clinical level," said Samuelson, who is not connected to ScyFix. "As a glaucoma specialist, it has never come up as a treatment for glaucoma." Glaucoma, wet and dry eye macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa, which severely reduce vision or cause blindness, have become more prevalent in the United States, especially as the country's baby boom population ages. People suffering from such age-related diseases will jump from nearly 30 million today to 43 million by 2020, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmologists. Medical outsider leads firm Thomas Harold first came up with the idea for ScyFix in 2002. An Internet entrepreneur and a former executive at General Mills, Harold became interested in studies that showed electricity could restore sight. Drugs, however, could only slow the effects of some diseases. continued on next page Bottom of Page 13 The Achiever Top Of Page 14 continued from previous page "I thought to myself: 'No cure? No therapies? That's interesting,’ said Harold, who is now chief executive of ScyFix. Specifically, the studies showed electricity could stimulate the production of neurotrophins, a family of proteins that can instruct optic nerve, retinal neurons and photoreceptor cells not to die. In addition, neuromodulation can also repair cell membranes, allowing cells to absorb nutrients, release wastes, improve blood flow to the eye and rewire faulty nerve connections. Working with doctors and engineers, Harold, who has no medical background, developed a device that releases low-intensity electric currents into the eyelids through electrodes. A complex mathematical equation programmed into the device controls the amount and frequency of the electricity. Patients can administer the treatment at home twice a day for 20 minutes. Harold says he is highly encouraged by the results so far: Since 2002, the device has halted progression of diseases in 95 percent of the 1,000 patients tested in 29 countries, according to ScyFix. "Everything stopped getting worse," Harold said. "That was a win in itself." In addition, 80 percent of the patients reported vision improvement. There were no side effects, the company said. Harold and DeMello envision developing an implantable eye device and possibly using electricity to correct common eye problems such as nearsightedness. But even Harold admits there are many unknowns regarding eye diseases and the effects of electric stimulation. Still, Samuelson of Minnesota Eye Consultants thinks the treatments are worth exploring. "If you can stimulate [the nerves] somehow, it might help," he said. "It seems like a reasonable thing to evaluate." Everything stopped getting worse," Harold said. "That was a win in itself." In addition, 80 percent of the patients reported vision improvement. There were no side effects, the company said. Harold and DeMello envision developing an implantable eye device and possibly using electricity to correct common eye problems such as nearsightedness. But even Harold admits there are many unknowns regarding eye diseases and the effects of electric stimulation. Still, Samuelson of Minnesota Eye Consultants thinks the treatments are worth exploring. "If you can stimulate [the nerves] somehow, it might help," he said. "It seems like a reasonable thing to evaluate." End of Article Bottom of Page 14 Beginning of Article DISCLAIMER: Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Retina Australia (Vic) Inc. Retina Australia (Vic) Inc accepts no responsibility and disclaims all liability for such views as well as for any information contained in articles and summaries of research reports, including but not restricted to, the use of pharmaceuticals or other products, items of equipment or practices. Retina Australia (Vic) Inc strongly suggests that persons seek advice from their medical practitioners before adopting any changed procedures, practices or products. End of Article End of The Achiever SUMMER EDITION JANUARY 2008