1202 results about "Macular degeneration" patented technology

Polymeric delivery devices have been developed which combine high loading / high density of molecules to be delivered with the option of targeting. As used herein, “high density” refers to microparticles having a high density of ligands or coupling agents, which is in the range of 1000-10,000,000, more preferably between 10,000 and 1,000,000 ligands per square micron of microparticle surface area. A general method for incorporating molecules into the surface of biocompatible polymers using materials with an HLB of less than 10, more preferably less than 5, such as fatty acids, has been developed. Because of its ease, generality and flexibility, this method has widespread utility in modifying the surface of polymeric materials for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering, as well other other fields. Targeted polymeric microparticles have also been developed which encapsulate therapeutic compounds such as drugs, cellular materials or components, and antigens, and have targeting ligands directly bound to the microparticle surface. Preferred applications include use in tissue engineering matrices, wound dressings, bone repair or regeneration materials, and other applications where the microparticles are retained at the site of application or implantation. Another preferred application is in the use of microparticles to deliver anti-proliferative agents to the lining of blood vessels following angioplasty, transplantation or bypass surgery to prevent or decrease restenosis, and in cancer therapy. In still another application, the microparticles are used to treat or prevent macular degeneration when administered to the eye, where agents such as complement inhibitors are administered.

Methods of treating, preventing and / or managing macular degeneration are disclosed. Specific embodiments encompass the administration of an immunomodulatory compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, hydrate, stereoisomer, clathrate, or prodrug thereof, alone or in combination with a second active agent and / or surgery. Pharmaceutical compositions, single unit dosage forms, and kits suitable for use in methods of the invention are also disclosed.

A light control and display technology applicable to light redirection and projection with the capacity, in a number of embodiments modified for particular applications, to produce managed light, including advanced images. Applications include miniature to very large scale video displays, optical data processing, 3-dimensional imaging, and lens-less vision enhancement for poor night-driving vision, cataracts and macular degeneration.

A method is provided for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration by administering various antibiotics, such as tetracycline and its derivatives, rifamycin and its derivatives, macrolides, and metronidazole, to a patient in a therapeutically effective amount.

Polymeric microparticles have been developed which encapsulate therapeutic compounds such as drugs, cellular materials or components, and antigens, and can have targeting ligands directly bound to the microparticle surface. Preferred applications include use in tissue engineering matrices, wound dressings, bone repair or regeneration materials, and other applications where the microparticles are retained at the site of application or implantation. Another preferred application is in the use of microparticles to deliver anti-proliferative agents to the lining of blood vessels following angioplasty, transplantation or bypass surgery to prevent or decrease restenosis, and in cancer therapy. In still another application, the microparticles are used to treat or prevent macular degeneration when administered to the eye, where agents such as complement inhibitors are administered.

This invention provides a polymeric drug delivery system including a hydrogel containing one or more drugs for the treatment of a posterior segment disease. Exemplary drugs are anti-angiogenesis compounds for the treatment of macular degeneration. Allowing passive transference of this drug from a dilute solution into the hydrogel produces the delivery system. The hydrogel, when placed in contact with the eye, delivers the drug. The delivery of the drug is sustained over an extended period of time, which is of particular utility in the eye, which is periodically flushed with tears. This sustained delivery accelerates the treatment process while avoiding potential damaging effects of localized delivery of high concentrations of compounds, e.g., from eye drops.

This invention provides articles and methods for drug delivery including a hydrogel containing one or more drugs for the treatment of a posterior segment disease and / or dry eye conditions. Exemplary drugs are anti-angiogenesis compounds for the treatment of macular degeneration. Allowing passive transference of this drug from a dilute solution into the hydrogel produces the delivery system. The hydrogel, when placed in contact with the eye, delivers the drug. The delivery of the drug is sustained over an extended period of time, which is of particular utility in the eye, which is periodically flushed with tears. This sustained delivery accelerates the treatment process while avoiding potential damaging effects of localized delivery of high concentrations of compounds, e.g., from eye drops.

This invention is generally directed to the use of Indazole Compounds for treating or preventing diseases associated with protein kinases, including tyrosine kinases, such as proliferative diseases, inflammatory diseases, abnormal angiogenesis and diseases related thereto, atherosclerosis, macular degeneration, diabetes, obesity, pain and others. The methods comprise the administration to a patient in need thereof of an effective amount of an indazole compound that inhibits, modulates or regulates tyrosine kinase signal transduction. Novel indazole compounds or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof are presented herein.

The present invention concerns methods and compositions for inhibiting angiogenesis and / or tumor growth, survival and / or metastasis. In particular embodiments, the methods and compositions may concern ligands against placenta growth factor (PlGF), such as BP-1, BP-2, BP-3 or BP-4. Some methods may comprise administering one or more PlGF ligands, alone or in combination with one or more other agents, such as chemotherapeutic agents, other anti-angiogenic agents, immunotherapeutic agents or radioimmunotherapeutic agents to a subject. The PlGF ligands are effective to inhibit angiogenesis, tumor cell motility, tumor metastasis, tumor growth and / or tumor survival. In certain embodiments, PlGF ligands may be administered to subjects to ameliorate other angiogenesis related conditions, such as macular degeneration. In some embodiments, PlGF expression levels may be determined by any known method to select those patients most likely to respond to PlGF targeted therapies.

A system and method for automated detection of age related macular degeneration and other retinal abnormalities which may have a retinal scanner capable of obtaining retinal data from a subject. The retinal scanner may be coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) which may have memory storing CPU-executable instructions which may detect retinal abnormalities. When the CPU receives retinal data from the retinal scanner, the system may perform CPU-executable instructions for detecting retinal abnormalities. The system may analyze the retinal data to determine one or more healthy areas and, based on the analyzed healthy area, the system may detect abnormalities in the retinal data.

A radiosurgery system is described that is configured to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target structure in a patient. In some embodiments, inflammatory ocular disorders are treated, specifically macular degeneration. In some embodiments, other disorders or tissues of a body are treated with the dose of radiation. In some embodiments, the target tissues are placed in a global coordinate system based on ocular imaging. In some embodiments, the target tissues inside the global coordinate system lead to direction of an automated positioning system that is directed based on the target tissues within the coordinate system. In some embodiments, a treatment plan is utilized in which beam energy and direction and duration of time for treatment is determined for a specific disease to be treated and / or structures to be avoided. In some embodiments, a fiducial marker is used to identify the location of the target tissues. In some embodiments, radiodynamic therapy is described in which radiosurgery is used in combination with other treatments and can be delivered concomitant with, prior to, or following other treatments.

The present invention relates to compounds having the formula I: which inhibit, regulate and / or modulate tyrosine kinase signal transduction, compositions which contain these compounds, and methods of using them to treat tyrosine kinase-dependent diseases and conditions. The compounds of the present invention are useful in treating angiogenesis, cancer, tumor growth, atherosclerosis, age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, inflammatory diseases, and the like in mammals.

The present invention is in the area of novel compounds and salts thereof, their syntheses, and their use as anti-cancer agents. The compounds include compounds of Formula I:and solvates, hydrates and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof, wherein A1 is N or CR1; A3 is N or CR3; A5 is N or CR5; R1, R3-R6 and L are defined in the specification; n is 0 or 1; and X is an optionally-substituted aryl group having 6-10 carbons in the ring portion, an optionally-substituted 6-membered heteroaryl group having 1-3 nitrogen atoms in the ring portion, an optionally-substituted 5-membered heteroaryl group having 0-4 nitrogen atoms in the ring portion and optionally having 1 sulfur atom or 1 oxygen atom in the ring portion, or an optionally-substituted heteroaryl group in which a 6-membered ring is fused either to a 5-membered ring or to a 6-membered ring, wherein in each case 1, 2, 3 or 4 ring atoms are heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. They are effective against a broad range of cancers, especially leukemia, prostate, non-small cell lung and colon. They are additionally useful in the treatment of proliferative retinopathies such as diabetic neuropathy and macular degeneration.

The invention provides a method of optical imaging comprising providing a sample to be imaged, measuring and correcting aberrations associated with the sample using adaptive optics, and imaging the sample by optical coherence tomography. The method can be used to image the fundus of a human eye to provide diagnostic information about retinal pathologies such as macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. The invention further provides an apparatus comprising an adaptive optics subsystem and a two-dimensional optical coherence tomography subsystem.

The invention relates the method of treatment or amelioration of mitochondrial disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), cerebellar ataxias, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactacidosis, stroke (MELAS), Myoclonic Epilepsy with Ragged Red Fibers (MERFF), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), motor neuron diseases, Huntington's disease, macular degeneration, and epilepsy, with chroman derivatives of Formula I or Formula II as described herein.

An Eyeglass Manufacturing Method Using Epoxy Aberrator includes two lenses with a variable index material, such as epoxy, sandwiched in between. The epoxy is then cured to different indexes of refraction that provide precise corrections for the patient's wavefront aberrations. The present invention further provides a method to produce an eyeglass that corrects higher order aberrations, such as those that occur when retinal tissue is damaged due to glaucoma or macular degeneration. The manufacturing method allows for many different applications including, but not limited to, supervision and transition lenses.

A surgical device for localized delivery of beta radiation in surgical procedures, particularly ophthalmic procedures. Preferred surgical devices include a cannula with a beta radiotherapy emitting material at the distal end of the cannula. The surgical device is particularly suitable for use in the treatment of treat Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

A stand-alone station such as a kiosk (10) includes automated equipment for performing eye examination procedures on a user positioned in the station (11). Information derived from the examination determines possible existence of a correctable medical condition. The station includes a user interface (22) and a fulfillment remedy section (30) that addresses the medical condition, as by fabrication of eyeglasses (32) for correction of refraction error, or by communicating treatments through the user interface to the user for treating such conditions as age-related macula degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, or visual field impairment. The station also includes a payment device (24) allowing the user to directly pay for the procedure and to indirectly pay using identified health insurance coverage.

The invention provides a microsphere formulation for the sustained delivery of an aptamer, for example, an anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor aptamer, to a preselected locus in a mammal, such as the eye. In addition, the invention provides methods for making such formulations, and methods of using such formulations to deliver an aptamer to a preselected locus in a mammal. In particular, the invention provides a method for delivering the aptamer to an eye for the treatment of an ocular disorder, for example, age-related macular degeneration.

A drug may be used in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment or prevention of an ophthalmologic disorder, wherein the drug inihibits, antagonizes, or short-circuits the visual cycle at a step of the visual cycle that occurs outside a disc of a rod photoreceptor cell.

Dendrimer-based compositions and methods are provided, that are useful for administering pharmaceutical compositions to target cells and tissues for treatment of ocular diseases including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa.

Nucleic acid vectors encoding light-gated cation-selective membrane channels, in particular channelrhodopsin-2 (Chop2), converted inner retinal neurons to photosensitive cells in photoreceptor-degenerated retina in an animal model. Such treatment restored visual perception and various aspects of vision. A method of restoring light sensitivity to a retina of a subject suffering from vision loss due to photoreceptor degeneration, as in retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration, is provided. The method comprises delivering to the subject by intravitreal or subretinal injection, the above nucleic acid vector which comprises an open reading frame encoding a rhodopsin, to which is operatively linked a promoter and transcriptional regulatory sequences, so that the nucleic acid is expressed in inner retinal neurons. These cells, normally light-insensitive, are converted to a light-sensitive state and transmit visual information to the brain, compensating for the loss, and leading to restoration of various visual capabilities.

The present invention relates to compounds which inhibit, regulate and / or modulate tyrosine kinase signal transduction, compositions which contain these compounds, and methods of using them to treat tyrosine kinase-dependent diseases and conditions, such as angiogenesis, cancer, tumor growth, atherosclerosis, age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, retinal ischemia, inflammatory diseases, and the like in mammals.

An improved lens with Rugate filter specifically designed to be worn in prescription and non-prescription glasses, contact lenses, intraocular lenses and sunglasses, and to provide protection against macular degeneration by reducing harmful visible blue light transmission and ocular photochemical damage. The lens at least includes a single lens layer with a Rugate filter deposited thereon to selectively block visible blue light. Other layers may be added including a polarizing layer, dielectric layer and / or color tint in a lens sandwich configuration, to additionally give a high degree of UVA and UVB protection, color contrast, and glare reduction. The Rugate filter is a stop band which yields an exceptional light transmission profile under all light conditions, thereby maximizing protection as well as clarity of vision. In the multi-layer embodiment, all of the lens layers provide comprehensive protection for preventing macular degeneration, cataracts and other ocular injuries, yet maintain a balanced light transmission profile for visual acuity.

Described herein are methods and compositions for treating certain retinol-related diseases and conditions by modulation of transthyretin (TTR) and retinol binding protein (RBP) availability in the subject. For example, the methods and compositions provide for therapeutic agents for the treatment and / or prevention of age-related macular degeneration and / or dystrophies, metabolic disorders, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, hyperostosis, and protein misfolding and aggregation diseases. The compositions disclosed may be used as single agent therapy or in combination with other agents or therapies. In addition, described herein are methods and assays for selecting appropriate agents that can modulate the TTR and RBP availability in a subject.

An Eyeglass Manufacturing Method Using Epoxy Aberrator includes two lenses with a variable index material, such as epoxy, sandwiched in between. The epoxy is then cured to different indexes of refraction that provide precise corrections for the patient's wavefront aberrations. The present invention further provides a method to produce an eyeglass that corrects higher order aberrations, such as those that occur when retinal tissue is damaged due to glaucoma or macular degeneration. The manufacturing method allows for many different applications including, but not limited to, supervision and transition lenses.

An improved multi-layer performance lens for protective eyewear such as sunglasses which includes a pass band Rugate filter. The lens design is a sandwich configuration including a polarizing layer between two ophthalmic lens layers in a sandwich configuration, and a Rugate filter applied to one side thereof to yield an exceptional light transmission profile under all light conditions, thereby maximizing protection as well as clarity of vision. In addition, an optional dielectric layer and / or hydrophobic overcoat may be applied. The foregoing layers are arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile optimum for preventing macular degeneration, cataracts and other ocular injuries.