Study: New Eye Drops Can Prevent Common Root of Blindness

A group of researchers from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center has made eye drop capable of preventing vision loss following retinal vein occlusion. The condition which involves a blood clot preventing the vein in the eye is known as a major cause of blindness for adults worldwide.

The study conducted in mice suggests that the experimental therapy could have more extensive therapeutic effects than existing drugs. Furthermore, the drops were formulated to target the common causes of neurodegeneration and vascular leakage in the optical organ.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications on June 23, 2020.

Also Read: Brighter Prospects for Treating Blindness

Why Do People Get Retinal Vein Occlusion?

According to Cleveland Clinic, retinal vein occlusion occurs when a blood clot blocks the vein. Ophthalmologists say it sometimes happens because the eye veins are too narrow.

Moreover, the disease is more likely to occur in people with diabetes and high cholesterol levels. It could also be possibly be brought about by high blood pressure or other health problems that affect blood flow.

As of now, the standard treatment for the condition relies on drugs that reduce fluid leakage from blood vessels and the abnormal growth of blood vessels. However, there are significant disadvantages to these approaches.

These therapies require frequent injections directly into the eye. For the patients who brave this appalling procedure, the promise to prevent vision loss still remains uncertain.

Preventing Retinal Damage ith Eye Drops

According to Carol M. Troy, the study leader, the new treatment targets an enzyme called caspase-9. The enzyme is mainly involved in programmed cell death, a tightly regulated mechanism for naturally getting rid of excess or damaged cells.

However, in their study with mice, the researchers discovered that when blood vessels are damaged by retinal vein occlusion, the caspase-9 uncontrollably becomes activated. Because of this activation, it could trigger damage to the retina.

The authors have discovered that a highly-selective caspase-9 inhibitor, expressed in the form of eye drops, improved an array of clinical measures of retinal function in a mouse model of the illness.

They also found that the eye drops significantly improved blood flow, reduced swelling, and decreased retinal neuronal damage. According to Troy, the team believes that the eye drops could offer various advantages over current therapies.

New Innovation in Treating Blindness

The researchers are presently preparing to test their eye drops in people with retinal vein occlusion in its phase I clinical trial. Furthermore, the team will also determine if caspase-9 inhibitors could be used in treating other vascular injuries brought about the overactivation of the enzyme, such as stroke and diabetic macular edema.

According to Maria Avrutsky, the first author of the study, vascular dysfunction is at the center of many chronic neurological and retinal disorders. The postdoctoral research scientist in pathology and cell biology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons adds that it is due to high energy demands in the brain and eye. She also says that these tissues are particularly vulnerable to disruption in blood supply.