THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR EYE AND VISION RESEARCH

E-ZINE Volume 2, Number 1 (February 2006)

Welcome to the second edition of the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research's (NAEVR) E-Zine, a quarterly electronic publication that highlights breakthrough eye and vision research funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI). The nation's investment in the NEI results in new treatments and therapies to not only stabilize vision loss but to restore it, or ultimately prevent the onset of eye disease. Vision impairment and eye disease currently cost the United States $68 billion annually in healthcare expenditures, reduced productivity and diminished quality of life.

In this edition:

• February 15 Chronic Dry Eye Briefing Features NEI Research
• NEI Collaboration Results in New Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy
• Proposed FY2007 Budget Cut to NEI May Result in "Missed Opportunities"

FEBRUARY 15 CHRONIC DRY EYE BRIEFING FEATURES NEI RESEARCH

On February 15 in Rayburn B-339 (12 Noon- 1:15 pm), NEI-funded researchers will speak about the growing public health and quality of life issues surrounding Chronic Dry Eye, also known as Dry Eye Syndrome (DES). NEI-sponsored epidemiological studies report that 12 million Americans have moderate to severe DES. Since 15 percent of people over 65 years of age experience DES, it is an aging as well as a women's healthcare issue. Additionally, NEI reports that 25 percent of contact lens wearers report at least one symptom occasionally.

Discomfort in DES is due to insufficient tear quantity or quantity caused by low tear production and/or excessive tear evaporation. Its symptoms such as irritation, itching, burning, light sensitivity and grittiness can be debilitating, as DES affects the health of the eye's surface and can lead to visual impairment, as well as increased risk of infection.

As a result, DES has an enormous impact on quality of life, as patients often make changes to their daily lives to manage their symptoms.

Featured speakers include Dr. Kelly Nichols (Ohio State University College of Optometry) and Dr. Janine Smith (National Eye Institute), who will characterize the extent and causes of DES, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. RSVP to dina_beaumont@bs.was.com to attend or visit http://www.eyeresearch.org/press_releases/2_03_06.html

NEI COLLABORATIONS RESULTS IN NEW TREATMENTS FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

On December 7, 2005, NEI-funded vision researcher Dr. Neil Bressler (The Wilmer Eye Institute/Johns Hopkins University) educated Congressional staff about the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research (DRCR) Network, which he chairs and is funded by the NEI in partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF). The DRCR consists of 521 investigators at 155 sites in 43 states.

"Due to past NEI research in collaboration with other scientists at NIH, specifically laser photocoagulation to inhibit macular edema associated with leakage of capillaries in the retina, less than two percent of patients will go blind from diabetic retinopathy," said Dr. Bressler. The latest collaborative NEI research has resulted in ophthalmic drugs that may be beneficial for retinal swelling or edema from diabetes. "The anti-angiogenic (new blood vessel-inhibiting) medications are the first generation of ophthalmic drugs to cause improvement in some individuals with the "wet" form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and are just starting to be evaluated in clinical trials for diabetic retinopathy," said Dr. Bressler. Such studies are already underway by the Network.

The briefing was sponsored by the House and Senate Diabetes Caucuses and held in conjunction with JDRF and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR). Briefing details appear at http://www.eyeresearch.org/press_releases/12_07_05-2.html

PROPOSED FY2007 BUDGET CUT TO NEI MAY RESULT IN "MISSED OPPORTUNITIES"

The President's FY2007 federal budget proposes to reduce NEI funding by 0.8 percent, a decrease of $5.3 million, resulting in FY2007 funding of $661 million. This follows a net FY2006 NEI decrease of 0.3 percent, or $2 million. The current biomedical inflation rate is 3.5 percent.

The cuts come at a time of accelerated discovery due to past investment in the NEI. Throughout 2005, NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni heralded the NEI-sponsored discovery of a gene strongly associated with AMD, the leading cause of blindness in older Americans, as an NIH breakthrough. Concurrently, NEI's collaborative research has resulted in the first generation of ophthalmic drugs to treat the "wet" form of AMD, which are now being investigated for treatment of diabetic retinopathy (see story above).

Cuts to the NEI's budget jeopardize its ability to follow up on the AMD gene discovery, specifically developing diagnostic platforms for the early detection of the disease, as well as therapeutic strategies such as gene therapy. NEI may also not be able to fully fund the range of treatment initiatives currently planned in the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network described above.