The study was published in the June 5 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The degeneration of the macula causes blurred and distorted vision, and the scar tissue that is formed can cause a permanent loss of central vision. The approval of verteporfin is a first for macular degeneration related vision loss. Verteporfin, which is a photosensitive dye, is infused by IV for ten minutes, allowing it to accumulate in the abnormal blood vessels in the macula, where it is then activated by a nonthermal laser, sealing the blood vessels. In one study, the benefits of the therapy continued for several years.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of loss of vision for people over sixty-five.
An angiogram of the area can determine if someone is a good candidate for photodynamic therapy if it indicates a specific pattern of macular damage. The islets of Langerhans are small groups of endocrine cells scattered throughout the pancreas. Beta islet cells produce insulin, the hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. However, only 12.4 percent were able to control their blood sugar without supplemental insulin for more than a week and only 8.2 percent maintained insulin independence for a year. As in the case of other organ transplants, it is necessary to treat the transplant recipient with immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection from occurring.