 Human eye cross-sectional view grayscaleThe team found that eye damage caused by both diseases could be prevented and even reversed by switching on a protein called Robo-4, which has been implicated in angiogenesis – the process by which the body grows new blood vessels. |
Previous research has shown that Robo-4 can stop the growth of new
blood vessels and stabilise them, preventing uncontrolled blood vessel
growth. In experiments with mice, the scientists found that activating
Robo-4 could block abnormal blood vessel growth and stabilise blood vessels
to prevent leakage, helping to prevent or improve the symptoms of age-related
macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
This discovery could pave the way for treatments that switch on Robo-4, which could be potentially powerful treatments for blindness caused by these diseases. The research could also have bigger implications. For example, serious infections such as SARS kill people when an infection destabilizes blood vessels, allowing fluid to leak into the lungs. Could activating Robo-4 help to stop this? And in cancer, tumours hijack blood vessels to provide them with nutrients and oxygen – so could there be some role for Robo-4 activating drugs here too? |
