Overview - Dr Tiarnan Keenan on AMD
Dr Keenan gives a 1-minute summary of his research on a genetic fault that increases the risk of getting age-related macular degeneration.
Dr Tiarnan Keenan is a clinical ophthalmologist at the University of Manchester. He has received many awards for his work to understand the cause of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) including the prestigious Fulbright Fight for Sight Research Award in 2013, and a Fight for Sight Clinical Fellowship.
Here’s Dr Keenan giving a 1-minute overview of his research on a genetic fault that makes AMD more likely.
What he said:
- About 1 in 3 people with European ancestry inherit a genetic fault that makes AMD more likely. It means the eye is less able to protect itself from tissue damage by the immune system. So I was aiming to develop a treatment that could help restore this ability.
- What we learned was that there’s a link between this genetic fault, which is in what’s known as ‘compliment factor H’ and certain substances in the eye that decrease as we age.
- It helped to explain why some people are more at risk than others as we get older.
- So now we’re looking at the substance heparan sulphate as a target for treatment, as having more of it around helps complement factor H protect the eye.
You can find out more about Dr Keenan’s Clinical Fellowship here: