According to a new study by the University of California, San Diego, it has been found that the use of neurotrophic factor can treat a severe form of age-related macular degeneration known as geographic atrophy (GA); it slows down the succession of disease.

Age-related macular degeneration leads to the vision-loss; it causes cells in the macula which also lead to the death with the vision loss. Macula is the part of eye that allows us to see. GA has two forms one is wet AMD and other is dry AMD; GA is the last stage of AMD where a person losses his vision.

The ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) can stop or slow down the visual loss caused by GA; this research will help million of sufferers of GA.

The study is the first kind of study which shows the benefit of therapy to slow the progression of vision loss for this disease. The study is led by Kang Zhang of the University of California, San Diego, Shiley Eye Center, and his team.

Mr. Zhang said that currently there is no treatment for GA; and this research will help in treating people after simple surgical procedure.

In the study, 27 patients received the high-dose of CNTF using encapsulated cell therapy (ECT), while 24 patients received low dose of CNTF. After one year, the statistically change was noticed in high-dose received patients. Around 95% of patients showed improvements in comparison to the 75% of those who received low dose.