Minocycline, a commonly prescribed antibiotic that also offers anti-inflammatory effects, does not offer any benefits to those suffering from dry age-related macular degeneration.
Researchers hypothesized that microglia, which are the primary immune cells of the central nervous system, play a primary role in dry age-related macular degeneration. A phase II clinical study conducted by the National Eye Institute tested whether restraining microglia activity with minocycline could potentially help slow geographic atrophy expansion and the associated vision loss.
The trial involved 37 participants and researchers first monitored each individual's rate of geographic atrophy expansion for nine months and then as they took minocycline twice a day for two years. At the end of the two years, researchers compared each participant's rate of geographic atrophy expansion while on the minocycline to their baseline rate. The results demonstrated no difference in geographic atrophy expansion rate or vision loss when using the minocycline.
