A new RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic agent developed by scientists at Hokkaido University in Japan has been found to safely block ocular inflammation in mice, potentially making it a new treatment for human uveitis and diabetic retinopathy.
According to scientists, the receptor-associated prorenin system (RAPS) has been found to be involved in the pathogenesis of various vascular abnormalities such as inflammation and pathological angiogenesis, leading them to believe drugs targeting the RAPS may result in beneficial effects on vascular disorders, such as uveitis and diabetic retinopathy.
For this reason, the researchers reportedly developed the RNAi agent and found when injected caused significant improvement in mouse models of both acute uveitis and chronic diabetic inflammation, with no apparent side-effects.
The research was recently published in the journal Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids.
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Source: Hokkaido University