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• 3.8 million Americans suffer from blindness, low vision, or an age-related eye disease. That number is expected to grow 60% to approximately 5.5 million by 2020.
  
• Every year, 200,000 Americans develop advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – one every three minutes.
  
• 69% of people 80 and over (8% of the population) have low vision or are blind. This percentage is increasing as the baby boomers age.
  
• For people over 40 with diabetes, 1 in 12 will have their vision threatened by diabetic retinopathy.
  
• The economic impact of vision problems in the U.S. is $51.4 billon.
  

Discovery Eye Foundation Milestones

2008 – Discovery Eye Foundation relocates the administrative offices to Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

2006 - DEF collaborates with The Lincy Foundation to form the Retinal Regeneration Program at University of California, Irvine. This is a multi-institutional stem cell research partnership headed by Drs. Henry Klassen at UC Irvine and Michael Young at Harvard University’s Schepens Eye Research Institute. Nine other national and international organizations are participating in this study. Read more…

2005 - Mitochondria shown to be abnormal in keratoconus corneas.

2005 – Discovery Fund for Eye Research become the Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF).

2004 - Stem Cell study begins to increase the success of corneal transplants. Retinal Cell stem cell study begins. Discovered new vaccine factors that improve defense against genital infection

2003 - 3-D tissue imaging capability added to laboratories through purchase of a new Multiphoton Confocal Microscope awarded to DEF scientist, Dr. Steven Wechsler

2003 - Stem cell studies begin at Morris S. Pynoos Research Laboratories

2003 - Dr. Kenneth Wright co-authored an article published in Pediatrics showing that vision loss from ROP could be dramatically reduced by carefully controlling the oxygen dosage of premature infants. The article has since been verified by other studies across the country, including Harvard University.

2003 - Discovered new vaccine factors that improve DFER defense against herpes infection.

2003 - Discovered that differences in progesterone hormone receptors in some AMD patients, proved to protect patients from developing AMD.

2002 - DFER labs move to UC Irvine, to establishing the Morris S. Pynoos Eye Research Laboratories, a premiere ophthalmic lab facility, and tripling the research laboratory space.

2001 - DFER collaborates with the Pasteur Institute on a herpes vaccine that may translate into one powerful enough to protect against recurrent herpes eye infections.

2000 - DFER publishes its findings in Science, establishing that the LAT gene functions by keeping ocular herpes infected nerve cells from being killed by the body’s natural defense system. This explains how the virus survives to cause recurrent infections and it opens a new avenue for treatment of ocular herpes.

2000 - Found specific factors that promote growth of unwanted abnormal blood vessels in human diabetic retinas. Inhibitors of these factors might stop the growth of blinding abnormal blood vessels in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

2000 - Discovered a new “protective” gene in humans that may help in preventing AMD and is known to be associated with cardiovascular disease.

2000 - DFER doubles its educational programs and research with support from the Henry L. Guenther Foundation.

1999 - LASIK clinical trials of the Autonomous Technology eye-tracking laser were successfully completed, showing it to be safe and effective for both nearsightedness and farsightedness. DFER was one of only five centers nation-wide to selected to participate in the trial.

1999 - Developed a novel technique to analyze gene abnormalities in diseased human corneas, such as keratoconus and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy(PBK).

1999 - The first all-inclusive and testable hypothesis about the causes and progression of keratoconus is presented summarizing the last 25 years of keratoconus research.

1999 - A powerful experimental model was created to better understand the risk factors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This novel research approach examines the risk factors associated with AMD such as cholesterol, tobacco smoke, and genetic background.

1998 - A revolutionary herpes virus designed to fight off ocular herpes was constructed, but also found to destroy brain cancer cells. Nicknamed the “cancer eating” virus, it seeks out and kills brain cancer cells and malignant brain tumors.

1998 - Developed a therapeutic vaccine that reduces recurrence of ocular herpes in an experimental model.

1998 - Vitrase, an enzyme DFER helped to characterize, is approved for clinical trials in the United States and worldwide. This enzyme clears blood from the eye (vitreous) without surgery.

1998- Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP) established helping hundreds of thousands of patients with age-related macular degeneration.

1997- Research into the genetics of age-related macular degeneration for DFER begins with a grant from Lilian and Henry Nesburn.

1996 - Conducted clinical study to prove the safety and effectiveness of the Autonomous Technology “star wars” eye-tracking laser for use in laser eye correction, a technology currently used world-wide.

1996 - Found unique structural changes in diabetic retinal blood vessels that are associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy.

1994 - Demonstrated the LAT gene was essential in reactivation of ocular herpes virus infections and results in recurrent “cold sore” lesions of the skin and eye. When the LAT gene was missing from a herpes virus there was almost no reactivation.

1994- Research into molecular ophthalmology begins at DFER with support from The Skirball Foundation.

1990 - FDA approved clinical trials began for the VISX laser to correct vision which is now the technology used worldwide for laser vision correction.

1990- Diabetic retinopathy research commences at DFER with support from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.

1989 - Proved increased enzyme activity in keratoconus corneas leads to corneal thinning that cause the cone shaped cornea and visual distortion associated with keratoconus.

1987 - Discovered that one gene, called LAT, remained active in between attacks of the ocular herpes virus.

1986 - National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF) established with grant from Jane and Norman Neely.

1985 - Laboratories moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with a tripling of research space and scientists.

1972 - DFER research scientists begin studying ocular herpes at USC/Doheny laboratories.

1970 - Discovery Fund for Eye Research (DFER) launched by Rita and Morris Pynoos.