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The North East Centre for Age-Related Eye Research

North East CARE

The first seminar was held on 8 October 2003, for a copy of an mp3 CDROM with audio recordings of lectures contact Gordon Forster at Newcastle Disability Forum 0191 285 4556 email gordonf at ndf.org.uk

North East CARE has been established by medical scientists at the Universities of Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne, to carry out research of international excellence on the major causes of visual impairment and blindness in later life, and to use advances in knowledge to develop new treatments and interventions to prevent these conditions.

The Centre brings together a critical mass of clinical scientists, internationally recognised researchers in vision science, and NHS staff in the field of ophthalmology from across the Region, together with older people with visual problems and those who support them. It is the only centre in the UK dedicated to research on problems of the ageing eye.

While the increase in lifespan has been one of the outstanding achievements of the last century, old age brings increased risk of chronic ill-health and disability. Eye diseases are one of the commonest causes of severe disability in later life. Their prevalence increases markedly with age and, for older people, the most common causes of blindness and partial sight are macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataract. The impact of these diseases - in terms of health and social care costs and disability payments - is considerable. There is urgent need for inter-disciplinary research which brings together clinicians, vision neuroscientists and pathologists who can characterise these disorders, together with molecular and cellular biologists who can elucidate the underlying pathogenic mechanisms and develop rational strategies for treatment and prevention.

North East CARE will carry out cutting-edge research on the major causes of visual impairment in later life. Research will also focus on the use of stem-cells to repair damage to the surface of the eye. Other projects will examine the ways in which age-related disorders of the brain can impair visual functions. Changes in vision with age affect ability to drive and carry out other complex tasks.
North East CARE will work closely with the Regional Centre for Assistive Technologies to develop devices that support older people with visual problems.

North East CARE has well-established research interests and is developing five strong collaborative programmes on: (i) age-related macular degeneration, (ii) cataract, (iii) optic nerve degeneration, including glaucoma, (iv) ocular surface disease and stem-cell transplantation, and (v) cerebral visual impairment in older people. The Centre is supported through Newcastle University's Institute for Ageing and Health which has an international reputation for clinical research in fields such as brain ageing and dementia, as well as studies on the fundamental questions of why cells and tissues age, and why they become more vulnerable to pathological changes. Increasing numbers of genes are being associated with eye disorders or ophthalmic features of inherited conditions, and
North East CARE will access powerful new tools for the molecular analysis of pathological tissue including microassays and proteomic approaches.

North East CARE is administered through two Co-Directors (one from each University) and a Management Group consisting of the lead investigators from the five main research programmes, together with NHS and user representatives. This group is responsible for the clinical, research and financial governance of North East CARE, the use of shared resources, and the attribution of income, publications, intellectual property and esteem indicators arising from the work of the Centre.

The Centre will provide substantial added-value by: providing critical mass and a common strategic framework for groups from both universities and NHS Trusts throughout the region; supporting common research infrastructure, including and Eye Tissue Resource; enabling important cross-study comparisons to be made across the various programmes; influencing strategic support for eye and vision-related research in the region; and providing an outstanding training environment for both clinical and basic researchers in ophthalmology.

Fur further details, contact Mr Michael Clarke, Co-Director of North East CARE at Newcastle University (0191 222 7183) or Professor Roy Quinlan, Co-Director of North East CARE at Durham University (0191 334 1331).