A laser treatment to treat early stage dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could potentially stop progression of the disease, according to research from Finland.
Clinical trials for the treatment will start in the Finnish spring, with researchers hoping it could be available more widely in as little as three years.
The novel treatment approach aims to strengthen the protective mechanisms of affected cells using heat.
Professor Ari Koskelainen, from Aalto University, said the approach requires heating the retinal tissue by several degrees, triggering a healing response at a cellular level.
“Cellular functionality and protective mechanisms weaken with age, which exposes the fundus to intense oxidative stress,” he explained in an article on the Aalto University website.1
“Free oxygen radicals damage proteins, which causes them to misfold and aggregate, then fatty protein deposits called drusen begin to accumulate, which is the main diagnostic criterion for the dry form of age-related macular degeneration.”
He said the treatment is complicated; it’s hard to measure the temperature behind the retina, and temperatures above 45°C can cause tissue damage.
The newly developed method allows for temperature monitoring, at the same time as heating is carried out with near infrared light.
The method has been shown to work in mice and pigs, and patient trials will start in Finland in spring 2026. The first phase of the trials will ensure the safety of the treatment approach in humans, without yet seeking a therapeutic response. Researchers then hope to progress towards establishing how often the treatment would need to be repeated.
“The treatment needs to be repetitive, since the response can already begin to decline some days after the treatment,” Prof Koskelainen said.
The research was published in Nature Communications.2
The researchers hope to commercialise the discovery through a research-to-business startup called Maculaser.
“An optimistic schedule would see the method already being used in hospital eye clinics in as little as three years’ time,’ Prof Koskelainen said. “The eventual goal is that it would be readily available at your local ophthalmologist.”
References
- Aulanko-Jokirinne T, Hudson S. New macular degeneration treatment the first to halt disease’s progression. Aalto University. Available at: aalto.fi/en/news/new-macular-degeneration-treatment-the-first-to-halt-diseases-progression [accessed Nov 2025].
- Amirkavei M, Kaikkonen O, Koskelainen A, et al. Non-damaging laser treatment with electroretinography-based thermal dosimetry activates hormetic heat response in pig retinal pigment epithelium. Nat Commun. 2025 Oct 29;16(1):9533. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64095-6.
