Carotenoids and Retinal Disease

John T. Landrum, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University (FIU), where in addition to his role as a faculty member he serves as a director at the Office of Pre-Health Professions Advising for the College of Arts and Sciences. His current research efforts are focused on understanding the mechanisms of biological recognition of individual carotenoids, their absorption and transport, and their role in the developing human eye. In 2004, Professor Landrum’s contributions in the field of chemistry were recognized by the FIU with an award for Excellence in Research. He has authored or coauthored 66 articles and chapters in peer-reviewed journals and books. John M. Nolan, Ph.D., is a Fulbright scholar, Howard and European Research Council (ERC) Fellow, adjunct professor of Trinity College Dublin, and principal investigator of the Macular Pigment Research Group (MPRG), Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland. Professor Nolan was one of the founders of the MPRG, which leads world-class research initiatives in the role of eye nutrition for vision and prevention of blindness and which is now the largest group worldwide studying the macular carotenoids.

Macular Pigment: From Discovery to Function. Risk Factors for Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Their Relationship with the Macular Carotenoids. Epidemiology and Aetiopathogenesis of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Relationships of Lutein and Zeaxanthin to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Epidemiological Evidence. Clinical Trials Investigating the Macular Carotenoids. The Promise of Molecular Genetics for Investigating the Influence of Macular Xanthophylls on Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration. A Review of Recent Data on the Bioavailability of Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Multiple Influences of Xanthophylls Within the Visual System. Transport and Retinal Capture of the Macular Carotenoids. Measurement and Interpretation of Macular Carotenoids in Human Serum. Xanthophyll–Membrane Interactions: Implications for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Light Distribution on the Retina: Implications for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Index.