Scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK, have shown that a low molecular weight dextran-sulphate novel, ILB® it could play a key role in the treatment of open – angle glaucoma (OAG), a neurodegenerative disease that affects more than 70 million people worldwide and causes unavoidable blindness.
OAG develops slowly over several years. Excessive matrix deposition (fibrosis) within the primary drainage site of the retina can lead to increased intraocular pressure (IOP), causing damage to the optic nerve.
The research, reported in npj Regenerative Medicine, has shown that ILB can normalize intracellular matrix deposition and lower IOP in a preclinical model used to treat these aspects of glaucoma. human identification, paving the way for the development of new anti-fibrotic therapies for the disease.
OAG is a complex disease and it has been difficult to develop an effective treatment to target the biochemical pathways involved. Conventional treatments usually work by reducing fluid production in the eye, not the underlying causes, and even the new therapies have shown limited success in the clinic.
Birmingham scientists focused on an inflammatory pathway that is common to several diseases, and included Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ), a signaling molecule that communicates between cells and orchestrates both inflammation and fibrosis . The role of TGFβ in OAG is well known, with patients exhibiting higher levels of humoral humor and laboratory studies showing that increased TGFβ within the eye can lead to fibrosis.
The scientists found that ILB has multifactorial functions across many genes that disrupt inflammatory and fibrotic cellular processes. When performed their work to a preclinical experimental model of glaucoma, they found that daily injection of ILB significantly (p <0.01) significantly reduced extracellular matrix levels within the primary drainage site of the eye, which normalizes eye pressure and prevents degeneration of retinal neurons. .
We are thrilled with these results, which show a way forward for the treatment of glaucoma that can reverse the fibrotic process that causes the disease. “
Dr Lisa Hill, Institute of Clinical Sciences, and Dr Hannah Botfield, Institute of Inflammation and Aging
Clinicians working in ophthalmology usually prefer local treatment delivered systematically, because it is a safer method of administration that is more suitable for patients.
Dr. Hill is leading a project to develop a conventional alternative to avoid the need for injection. She is working closely on this with Mr Imran Masood, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and Professor Liam Grover, a biomaterials expert from the University’s Institute of Healthcare Technologies, to assess the using a thin liquid gel for the resolution of glaucoma.
The thinning liquid gel was developed for use as eye drops that are kept for an extended period of time after administration, and patents have been filed for use both alone, and in conjunction with medical- other medicine. Previous studies have shown that the liquid gel reduces corneal scarring when applied topically, and is an effective behavioral molecule for other medical treatments.