Finally, by learning from what the cell biologists have discovered, and by what the doctors or clinicians have discovered from their patients, a precise story can be developed as to what's gone wrong with this particular degeneration. That is, an educated guess or hypothesis can be put forward as to the cause of this type of Macular Degeneration. 

Many patients say, "Will this type of research help me now"? There may not be any immediate results from this type of research for the current patient with Macular Degeneration but it is highly important that the researchers understand the cause of Macular Degeneration before they can ultimately figure out the cure.

Some immediate benefit, however, may be in the information gained in order that some types of Macular Degeneration can be explained to families. That is, if a grandmother has Macular Degeneration, what can you say to the family about whether the daughter may get macular degeneration or the granddaughter. At present, much of this type of information is not available, although we receive calls every week from family members asking about the inheritance patterns of Macular Degeneration and/or questions whether Macular Degeneration can run in families. Also, we receive questions each week about ways to prevent family members from getting Macular Degeneration and would it help to take vitamins, or should I make sure my daughter or my grandson wear UV protection sunglasses so that they do not develop macular degeneration later in their life. Again, these are very important questions and this type of research may give us more exact answers in the future for this type of valuable information for families. 

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