July 31, 2023
Joan W. Miller, MD, Chair of Harvard Ophthalmology and the David Glendenning Cogan Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, is featured on the World Medical Innovation Forum’s 2023 “Disruptive Dozen” list of 12 emerging technologies with the greatest potential to impact health care in the next several years. Protecting retinal cell death is ranked at number 10 on the list.
The retina is home to specialized neurons that are required for normal vision. Several different conditions cause these neurons to degenerate and die, resulting in impaired vision and eventually blindness. Several biotechnology companies, including some with collaborations with Mass Eye and Ear, are working to develop neuroprotective therapies that can protect these cells from injury and death, thereby preserving vision. These therapies could help patients with a range of retinal diseases, including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and optic neuropathies. See the full “Disruptive Dozen” list.