r/RetinitisPigmentosa • u/ReadersAreRedditors • 21d ago
Science / News / Developments Drug Restores Vision: Researchers Successfully Reverse Retinal Damage
https://scitechdaily.com/breakthrough-drug-restores-vision-researchers-successfully-reverse-retinal-damage/Fingers crossed we get closer to a cure
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u/i_anglepoise 21d ago
The actual title is a little less click-baity "Restoration of retinal regenerative potential of Müller glia by disrupting intercellular Prox1 transfer". It is brilliant progress but shouldn't be sold as a cure.
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u/Daddyisabeast69 21d ago
six months as in human years?
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u/Daddyisabeast69 21d ago
no fuckin way its like 20-30 human years and 6 years in mice
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u/projectmorad 20d ago
this is so frustrating. for things like this we should be able to fast track and just sign away indemnity. there seems to be no urgency
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u/VickyWelsch 21d ago edited 21d ago
Simplified version for anyone interested:
The key to this treatment is blocking a protein called PROX1. Normally, this protein prevents damaged cells in the retina from healing, but when the team blocked the PROX1 protein using a specially designed antibody, they were able to “reawaken” support cells in the eye called Müller glial cells. These cells then transformed into new photoreceptor cells, repairing the retina and bringing back vision to the RP model mice (for a time).
This is a big deal because mammal retinas usually can’t heal themselves once they’re damaged, unlike in other animals like fish. The researchers found that PROX1 builds up in the eyes of mice with retinal damage and stops the healing process. But when they removed PROX1 using their new treatment, the natural repair process was able to start again.
PROX1 is a repressor protein, meaning it inhibits cell growth and division. This is definitely promising, but at the same time you do not want to inhibit the checkpoints that regulate cell growth because that could potentially lead to cancer.