A team of researchers at Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute (OHSU) have reportedly found a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating low sexual desire in women may also prevent or slow retinal degeneration and preserve vision.
The study — which was funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness — involved the injection of the drug flibanserin into mice that were exposed to bright light to induce retinal damage. Researchers reportedly found the therapy helped protect the mouse retinas from degeneration and preserved retinal function. And upon further analysis of mouse retinal tissue, the researchers observed the drug was turning on genes that express proteins known to reduce oxidative stress and improve the health of mitochondria.
Results from the study were recently published online in the journal Public Library of Science (PLOS) One.
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Source: Foundation Fighting Blindness