Understanding Geographic Atrophy
Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration and a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. It affects the macula—the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision—and plays a major role in adult blindness worldwide.
The disease occurs when important support cells in the back of the eye, called retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, gradually break down and die. These cells are essential for maintaining the health of photoreceptors—the light-sensing cells that allow us to see. When RPE cells are lost, the photoreceptors they support become damaged and eventually die as well, leading to the progressive and permanent loss of central vision.
Over time, people with geographic atrophy may notice blurred or missing patches in the center of their vision, making it harder to read, recognize faces, drive, or perform everyday tasks that require fine detail. These changes typically develop gradually, but once vision is lost, it cannot currently be restored.
Recent therapies have begun to slow the progression of geographic atrophy by targeting specific pathways involved in the disease. However, these treatments do not address the underlying loss of retinal cells and are not able to restore vision that has already been lost.
Because of this, there remains a significant unmet need for therapies that can do more than slow decline—therapies that can directly target the health of retinal cells and potentially restore their function. This is the focus of Vision BioSciences’ work: developing regenerative approaches designed to support and rejuvenate RPE cells at the source of disease, with the goal of preserving vision and changing how geographic atrophy is treated.
The retina is like the "camera film" of the eye,. This is where light is converted into visual signals. Photoreceptor cells rely on underlying retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells for support, and in geographic atrophy, loss of RPE cells leads to damage of photoreceptors and progressive vision loss.
Left: Normal OCT — The retina appears smooth and well-organized, with clearly defined layers including healthy retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors.
Right: Geographic Atrophy (GA) — Areas of RPE and overlying photoreceptor loss are visible as thinning and disruption of the retinal layers, reflecting damage that leads to progressive vision loss.
GA Progression (Years 1–5) — The dark areas represent regions of retinal cell loss, where RPE and photoreceptors are no longer functioning. Over time, these areas expand and merge, leading to increasing damage of the retina and progressive loss of vision.
Today, treatments can slow the growth of these areas of damage, helping preserve vision while new approaches aim to further change the course o