Gene therapy for eye disease

Scientists have developed a new gene therapy approach that offers promise for one day treating an eye disease that leads to a progressive loss of vision and affects thousands of people across the globe. The study also has implications for a much wider suite of neurological disorders associated with aging dominant optic atrophy (DOA). 

DOA is an inherited mitochondrial disease a neuro-ophthalmic condition characterized by a bilateral degeneration of the optic nerves causing gradual but subtle vision loss. DOA patients usually suffer moderate visual loss, associated with central or near central visual field deficits and color vision deficits. 

Gene therapy works by:

1. Scientist creating a new working copy of a missing or nonworking gene.

2. The new gene is placed in a vector, which acts like an envelope that carries the gene to the right places.

3. Next the vector is placed in the body and carries the new gene to the control center of the cells (Also known as the nucleus).

4. Once inside the nucleus, the new gene tells the body how to make what it needs.

5. The rest of the unused tractor is broken down by the body. 

While still in pre-clinical trials researchers have found that a targeted gene therapy can treat DOA. The results so far demonstrate that this gene therapy can potentially provide benefits for a wider array of diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction such as DOA.

Keep in mind this treatment is still in the trial phase and unavailable as treatment right now.

Image: https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/how-does-gene-therapy-work/

#eyegotcha

#genetherapy

#DOA

Sources:

www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.sciencedaily.com

www.exploregenetherapy.com

 

Seeing without eyes – The red brittle starfish

 

The red brittle starfish, Ophiocoma wendtii, is a fairly common starfish found throughout the keys and South Florida. Like other brittle starfish varieties and some serpent stars, it is a nocturnal scavenger that spends most the daylight hours hidden under rocks, but ventures out to feed at night on detritus.


Brittle stars are close relatives of starfish with a more delicate appearance, it is a starfish with skinny, spiny arms made up with little articulated plates. This starfish also has color-changing abilities. During the day they are reddish-brown to dark brown, at night they are a pale beige with dark stripes. It is believed the reddish color in daylight for UV protection.

Brittle stars can see without eyes, they recognize patterns using photoreceptors on their arms. Photoreceptors are specialized cells for detecting light. They are composed of the outer nuclear layer that contains the cell nuclei, the inner segment that houses the cell machinery, and the outer segment that contains photosensitive pigment.

Researchers suggest that the entire body of the red brittle starfish is covered with light-sensing cells called photoreceptors. These photoreceptors give visual stimuli to the brittle star, helping it to recognize rocks and hiding places. The researchers placed the red brittle stars in a circular arena in a laboratory. The walls of the arena were white in color with black bars. The red brittle stars would always move towards the black bar. This test replays the day time behavior of red brittle stars when they find dark hiding places in the reef. When they were presented with grey walls making it so no part of the arena was lighter or darker overall, they still moved toward the black stripe, which was centered on a white stripe so as to reflect the same amount of light as the grey.

Sources:

www.newsopedia.in

www.kpaquatics.com

www.scientificamerican.com

www.britanica.com

www.spie.org



Image: www.kpaquatics.com/product/red-brittle-starfish/

Focus on Healthy Vision for your New Year’s Resolutions in 2021

For many people the New Year means making New Year’s resolutions to improve health and wellness such as losing weight or getting more sleep.

Healthy habits that help support retina health. In 2021 everyone is encouraged to add these healthy eye habits: 

1, Get regular dilated retina exams.

2. Eat nutritious foods including dark leafy greens and fish

3. Quit smoking

4. Control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.

5. Stay active and maintain a healthy weight.

6. No the symptoms and risk factors for retinal diseases.

7. Wear eye protection if you are working with particles, flying objects, dust or chemicals.

8. Consider blue light filtering and or blocking glasses as many or spending more time in front of the screen.

#eyegotcha #healthyvision

Source:

https://www.newswise.com/articles/focus-on-healthy-vision-with-six-new-year-s-resolutions-from-retina-specialists

Image: www.Shape.com