Will microRNAs save your vision?
Scientists have found a way to prevent blindness
Copper news based on the materials of The Scripps Research Institute: New Eye Treatment Effective in Laboratory TestsAn international group of scientists has developed a new approach to the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, which has shown good results in preclinical trials.
The method is based on the use of microRNAs that suppress the activity of the gene responsible for the process of pathological vascular growth. According to a scientific article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (Westenskow et al., Ras pathway inhibition prevents neovascularization by repressing endothelial cell sprouting), the data obtained by the researchers can help prevent the development of blindness.
Many types of blindness, for example, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration (macular degeneration), are associated with abnormal growth of blood vessels (neovascularization) in the retina of the eye. When the tissues of the eye feel a lack of oxygen, a signaling protein is produced in the body – vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates angiogenesis – the formation of new vessels.
VEGF and other similar signaling molecules increase the expression of the Ras gene, whose proteins are also necessary for vascular growth. Based on this, many scientists believed that if this process was stopped, it would help in the treatment of blindness.
However, last year's study by David Cheresh and his colleagues from the Scripps Research Institute showed that VEGF plays an important role in maintaining healthy vision, and suppressing the production of this protein can cause the death of photosensitive cells and lead to vision loss. In this regard, researchers began to look for other ways to stop the pathological growth of blood vessels.
After conducting studies on mice, the scientists found that microRNAs – short pieces of RNA that regulate the activation and expression of genes – can be used to reduce neovascularization by suppressing the activity of the Ras gene. This means that microRNAs are able to suppress abnormal vascular growth while maintaining the health of normal blood vessels in the eyes.
At the moment, scientists are going to continue their research in order to then conduct clinical trials of this method, which can lay the foundation for the creation of a new class of antiangiogenic therapeutic agents.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru28.10.2013