Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a pathway involved in harming rods and cones in certain vision disorders — such as retinitis pigmentosa and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — and believe targeting those pathways could help save the sight of patients with those diseases.
In a series of experiments first in mice and then later in retinal cells, the researchers reportedly found a key molecule called NAD in the cascade that leads to the demise of rods and cones in the retina. When mice with a damaged photoreceptor was treated with another molecule called NMN, researchers found the cells' degeneration stopped and vision was restored.
The researchers believe their findings could lead to a potential target for therapies for multiple retinal diseases, and expect clinical trials in human subjects could begin soon.
The study was recently published in the journal Cell Reports.
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Source: Washington University School of Medicine