A research team from The Jackson Laboratory has found adding vitamin B3 to the drinking water of mice genetically predisposed to glaucoma was effective in preventing the disease.
According to researchers, the administration of vitamin B3 boosted the metabolic reliability of aging retinal ganglion cells and keeping them healthier for longer, helping to eliminate the vast majority of age-related molecular changes and providing robust protection against glaucoma.
The researchers also reportedly found that a single gene-therapy application of Nmnat1 — the gene for an enzyme that makes NAD, a molecule vital to energy metabolism in neurons and other cells, from nicotinamide — prevented glaucoma from developing in this mouse model.
The team is reportedly pursuing clinical partnerships to begin the process of testing the effectiveness of vitamin B3 treatment in glaucoma patients, as well as explore potential applications for the treatment in other diseases involving neurodegeneration.
The research was recently published in the journal Science.
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Source: The Jackson Laboratory