Scientists at Johns Hopkins report a drug commonly used to slow the loss of central vision has shown promise in treating a common precursor of blindness in diabetics.

Researchers injected the drug into the eyes of 10 people losing their sight from macular edema, one of many complications of diabetes and a first stage of diabetic retinopathy. Over the course of several months of therapy, every patient in the study could read at least two more lines on the standard eye chart. The drug used in this study is called ranibuzumab. The researchers believe that ranibuzumab interferes with a protein that spurs the growth of unwanted blood vessels in the back of the eye. Vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, is released when the oxygen supply in the eye is restricted by blood vessel damage related to diabetes. In a self-preserving attempt to acquire more oxygen, the VEGF signals for the creation of new blood vessels, which almost always damage, rather than improve, vision by blocking light's entry onto the retina.

I'm a perfect candidate for this therapy! Every 6 months, when I have my macular maintenance checkup -- I'm dilated, checked and sent on my way. I am going to do a little name-dropping on my next visit and see if I can't get myself one or two more lines on the standard eye chart.