![]() The ultimate goal of these initial safety studies is to promote continued translation of complex biological therapies into meaningful treatment strategies that may address unmet medical needs. These first-in-human safety studies have opened the door to future studies enrolling patients with less advanced disease, treating other diseases that result in RPE loss, employing shorter immunosuppressive regimens, and using alternative strategies for RPE transplantation such as sheets of cells with or without scaffolding to mimic Bruch's membrane. Aside from an instance of postoperative infectious endophthalmitis, no adverse events related to the cell therapy, such as hyperproliferation, tumorigenicity, or rejection-related inflammation were noted in this initial cohort of 18 patients. However, any conclusions remain tempered by the relatively short follow-up time, lack of a formal control group, poor initial visual acuity, and small number of patients. The anatomical and functional results are encouraging, with more than half of treated patients experiencing sustained improvements in visual acuity and demonstrating evidence of possible cellular engraftment. Recently, two phase I/II studies involving 18 patients with these diseases have demonstrated that it is possible to safely implant human embryonic stem cell–derived RPE (hESC-RPE) in an attempt to rescue photoreceptors and visual function. ![]() Despite substantial progress in the development of new therapies for wet AMD, the severe visual impairment associated with geographic atrophy in dry AMD or Stargardt disease remains untreatable. Agemy was lead author of a paper on imaging diabetic retinopathy using optical coherence tomography angiography, published in one of the most prominent ophthalmic journals.Advanced macular degeneration is an important cause of vision loss in the United States with over 2 million people affected by the disease. One of his research interests includes retinal imaging. He also serves as a reviewer for scientific ophthalmic journals including Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (IOVS), JAMA Ophthalmology, and Retina. ![]() Agemy has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and has presented his work nationally and internationally. He has a special interest in the surgical management of vitreoretinal diseases including macular holes, epiretinal membranes, and complex retinal detachments.ĭr. He has expertise in diagnosing and managing diseases of the retina including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and all other retinal vascular diseases. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retina Specialists, and the Association in Research of Vision and Ophthalmology. Agemy is a board certified ophthalmologist and specializes in medical and surgical management of vitreoretinal diseases. Agemy was an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine.ĭr. Prior to joining New York Retina Consultants, PLLC, Dr. Agemy completed a two-year fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the prestigious New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He was also chosen to be Chief Resident during his residency, an honor bestowed on him by his peers and the department’s chairman. Agemy was an Ambassador to the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Washington DC, advocating to congress on behalf of the Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his Ophthalmology residency at the Kresge Eye Institute/Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Steven Agemy, MD received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine after graduating from Michigan State University.
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