Projects

Driving Breakthroughs in Retinal Disease Research

Uncovering the Genetic Causes of Vision Loss in Native American Communities

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) can devastate vision, often leading to progressive blindness with no current cure. The Retina Research Foundation of America is committed to advancing genetic research to uncover the root causes of these conditions, particularly among Native American communities in the Southwest.

🧬 Why This Research Matters

  • Native American populations experience a higher prevalence of inherited retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, which causes night blindness, tunnel vision, and eventual loss of sight.

  • Genetic research can identify key mutations that contribute to these conditions, leading to earlier diagnosis and future targeted treatments.

  • By investing in advanced genetic screening and clinical trials, we aim to develop personalized treatments that preserve vision for future generations.

🔬 What Your Support Achieves

  • Funds genetic mapping projects to pinpoint specific mutations linked to vision loss.

  • Supports clinical trials for innovative therapies that could slow or stop disease progression.

  • Helps raise awareness and provide early intervention strategies for affected communities.

Innovating Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment with L-DOPA

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in people over 50, gradually robbing individuals of their central vision, making it difficult to read, drive, and recognize faces.

🚀 Researching L-DOPA as a Potential Game-Changer
L-DOPA, a drug commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease, has shown promising results in slowing the progression of AMD. Researchers believe it may:

  • Reduce inflammation and slow retinal degeneration, preserving sight for longer.

  • Improve retinal cell survival, potentially offering a low-cost, widely available treatment option.

💡 Why This Study Is Critical
Current AMD treatments often only slow progression and are not accessible to everyone. If L-DOPA proves effective, it could become a transformative, early-stage intervention that protects vision in millions of people.

🌟 Your Donation Powers Vision-Saving Research

  • Supports clinical trials testing L-DOPA's effectiveness in slowing AMD.

  • Funds cutting-edge imaging and genetic studies to track patient progress.

  • Helps move this potential treatment closer to approval, making it available to those in need.

🧪 Unlocking Access to Life-Changing Gene Therapy: Help Fund the Surgical Microscope Upgrade

Associated Retina Consultants is currently participating in pioneering gene therapy clinical trials that offer hope to patients with inherited retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease. But there's a roadblock: we are unable to participate in certain trials due to the lack of a critical piece of technology—a surgical microscope with intraoperative OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) capabilities.

This microscope provides real-time, high-resolution imaging during surgery, allowing doctors to safely and precisely deliver gene therapy beneath the retina. Without it, we cannot enroll patients in several promising trials already seeking partners in Arizona.

💡 Why It Matters:

This $200,000 upgrade is the key to unlocking access to new treatments for patients in our own community who would otherwise need to travel out of state—or miss out entirely.

Your donation helps fund:

  • Installation of advanced OCT imaging in the surgical suite

  • Enrollment in high-impact gene therapy trials

  • Local access to the newest treatments for vision loss

Together, we can bring these trials to life—right here in Phoenix.

👉 Be part of this powerful upgrade. Every donation helps restore sight and hope.