The Honda Foundation Helps Rescue Eyesight
| The Honda Foundation and Burswood Honda have donated $10,937 to the Lions Eye Institute, to purchase vital equipment used for stem cell therapy to treat age-related macular degeneration. The Lions Eye Institute will purchase a refrigerated centrifuge to assist in the development of cell transplantation therapy in sufferers of macular degeneration. A vital piece of equipment in any tissue culture laboratory, the refrigerated centrifuge is paramount to all aspects of stem cell research. Macular degeneration is a disease that causes progressive, painless loss of eyesight, affecting the ability to see fine detail and complete everyday tasks such as reading and driving. Every year, 2,500 Australians will be registered blind, with two thirds of all cases due to age-related macular degeneration. Chairman of The Honda Foundation, Mr. Lindsay Smalley, praised the Lions Eye Institute for its ongoing scientific research into the prevention of blindness.“With so many Australians suffering from macular degeneration, the refrigerated centrifuge will greatly assist the Lions Eye Institute with their research endeavours.” Associate Professor Fred Chen from the Lions Eye Institute, hopes to rescue the vision of thousands of Australians by using the latest stem cell technology to replace deteriorated cells in age-related macular degeneration. “The refrigerated centrifuge is an important piece of equipment that will greatly assist us in developing cell transplantation techniques in treating age-related macular degeneration. We are grateful for The Honda Foundation’s support in making this possible,” Professor Chen said. Mr. Bob Peters, Dealer Principal at Burswood Honda, commended the Lions Eye Institute for its tireless work and said the donation was well deserved. The Honda Foundation aims to provide assistance to local communities and foster goodwill among Honda Australia, Honda Motor Vehicle Dealers and the public. It draws funding from Honda Dealers and Honda Australia who donate $15 ($5 and $10 respectively) for every Honda car sold. |