A WORLD WITH SIGHT

BY AUSTIN WAHLE – The very first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is open your eyes, for they are the portal through which you see the world. Although we also use hearing, touch, taste, and smell to understand our world, we most heavily rely on our sense of sight. It helps us to enjoy the beauty in the world, to avoid potential dangers, and simply to go about our day. Sight is so central to the everyday proceedings of the average human, and the loss of sight is a massive change in a person’s life.

One of the leading causes of blindness in the American population is macular degeneration, which consists of the macula – a part of the retina – being damaged. This damage results in the loss of central vision. Over eleven million people in the United States alone are affected by this eye disease, which currently has no treatment effective at halting the symptoms (American Academy of Ophthalmology). Further research in this area is required to better understand the process of macular degeneration and the means by which it could be treated. Although this research would positively affect many, it is rather hard to begin because there are not many animals that are a sufficient model system for the human eye as far as retinal development is concerned.

At the University of Georgia, research is being conducted in the Menke and Lauderdale lab regarding the developmental processes of the retina. Most similar research uses primates as a model system for the human retina, but primates require many resources that make rearing them and conducting research on them taxing and occasionally unreasonable. Uniquely, this research uses the brown anole lizard, which requires far less space and resources to rear, making this research more accessible and repeatable for the masses. If the brown anole can be established as a credible model system for retinal development in humans, this could open up various research opportunities by making this topic in research easier to pursue. This could potentially lead to better treatments for various retinal ailments that lead to blindness. This is one of many examples of University of Georgia faculty and students working toward finding medical cures and treatments for common ailments worldwide.

A world in which fewer people are affected by blindness is a world in which grandparents can see and map their grandchildren’s faces. A world where surgeons can continue their craft far beyond where they would have been able to with macular degeneration. A world where an art connoisseur can continue to enjoy each brushstroke. A world where each and every one of us can walk on a beautiful beach or through a beautiful flower field and enjoy every color, every animal, and every moment. A world where those affected by blindness might have reprieve from the darkness and uncertainty.