StemCell Therapy

ANN ARBOR, MI -Irreversible blindness affects at least 11 million Americans and 170 million across the world, according Michigan Medicine officials.

One of the leading factors of this condition is a disease called age-related macular degeneration, and an $11.5-million gift to the health system seeks to make the irreversible reversible.

The philanthropy from James Grosfeld, former chairman and CEO of PulteGroup Inc., goes toward research at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center to develop effective treatments for the dry version of AMD, which affects up to 90% of those affected, officials said.

Grosfelds gift will support two endowed professorships at UM dedicated to dry AMD research, as well as increased laboratory staff. Other funded items include:

Increasing the speed and the breadth of discovery in dry AMD can make a significant difference in peoples lives, Grosfeld said in a statement.

Grosfelds enthusiasm and generosity has been greatly appreciated, said Dr. Paul Lee, director of the Kellogg Eye Center. The AMD research initiative will be led by Dr. Jason Miller, who will assume the title of the Grosfeld Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

We have made several discoveries that have given us a clear direction toward potential treatments, Miller said in a statement. At the same time, we have been building partnerships that will both accelerate our work and enable us to translate our efforts into clinical applications.

The AMD disease specifically attacks the part of the eye that houses the retinas light-sensitive photoreceptors. Millers research addresses how to limit the accumulation of lipids that affect these areas of the eye.

In catalyzing work across disciplines, we are enabling the creative application of a wide range of scientific techniques and approaches to the challenges of dry AMD, Dr. Marschall S. Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine, said. Mr. Grosfelds visionary support will enable us to make important advances toward saving sight today and will create a legacy of sight-saving achievement.

Read more from The Ann Arbor News:

NBA All-Star Steve Smith to speak at Michigan States commencement

These are 10 historic buildings still standing on the University of Michigan campus today

Innovative allergy testing device earns University of Michigan student $25K

Read this article:
An end to blindness? $11M gift to Michigan Medicine researches eye treatments - MLive.com

This entry was posted on April 26, 2022 at 1:47 am and is filed under Blindness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |