A medication to prevent vision loss
Researchers have found a potential solution to fight visual impairment and retinal detachment in people living with diabetes.Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have shown in preclinical trials that the experimental drug 32-134D can prevent or slow vision loss in people with diabetes. Use of the drug prevented the development of a common diabetes complication in experiments on human retinal organoids and in mice.
32-134D is an experimental drug that has not yet undergone clinical trials, but has previously demonstrated efficacy for treating liver tumors in mice. In their study, scientists used cell models and laboratory mice to study whether the drug could be used to treat diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, two common complications caused by diabetes and associated with retinal damage.
The study showed that the use of 32-134D results in a reduction of HIF proteins, factors induced by hypoxia. These proteins are sensitive to cellular oxygen levels and activate certain genes in the absence of oxygen. In particular, in the eye, they stimulate the growth of new blood vessels and increase retinal permeability. An excess of such proteins eventually contributes to vision loss.
To test 32-134D, researchers several types of human retinal cell lines associated with the expression of proteins that promote the formation and permeability of blood vessels. In the cells treated with the drug, the expression of factors induced by hypoxia returned to near normal levels, which is sufficient to stop the formation of new blood vessels and maintain the structural integrity of the blood vessels.
Similar results were obtained in experiments on mice. Under the influence of the drug, the activity of proteins in the cells decreased, and the growth of blood vessels slowed down. This contributed to slowing or stopping vision loss. The researchers did not observe any toxic effects of the drug, which are typical for analogues.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diseases. Only in 2022 in Russia revealed more than 345 thousand new patients. According to the Russian Ministry of Health, the number of Russians with diagnosed diabetes already exceeds 5 million people, while about 5 million more are still unaware of the disease.