Glaucoma, one of the main causes of irreversible vision loss Worldwide, it is a disease characterized by degeneration of the optic nerve and death of retinal ganglion cells. There is currently no cure and treatments aim to slow its progression. An international team of researchers has published in the specialized journal Experimental eye research a discovery that could represent a major breakthrough in the fight against this disease. According to the study, the use of experimental drug SPG302 “protects retinal neurons and preserves visual function in an animal model of glaucoma.”
This discovery represents a relevant change of direction, since it is not limited to the reduction of intraocular pressure (the basis of current treatments), but also acts directly on the neural mechanisms that trigger vision loss. The treatment, tested on mice, “could be transferred to patients in the years to come if its safety and effectiveness are confirmed”.
The work, entitled SPG302 protects retinal ganglion cells and preserves visual function by preserving synaptic activity in a mouse model of glaucomawas developed mainly at the University of California (USA), in collaboration with other American centers specializing in retinal neurodegeneration.
For the study, scientists used young mice with induced glaucoma by a sustained increase in intraocular pressure. The animals received daily treatment with SPG302 for eight weeks. At the end of the study period, the researchers observed a increased survival of retinal ganglion cellssignificant preservation of optic nerve axons and maintenance of visual function, assessed by electroretinography, even in the presence of elevated eye pressure.
The study focuses on a key aspect of glaucoma “that, until now, has received less therapeutic attention: early loss of synapses.” “Before neurons die, the connections that allow them to communicate begin to deteriorate“, the report states. SPG302 acts precisely at this critical point. As the authors point out, the treatment “preserves synaptic activity and prevents neuronal degeneration,” which results in functional protection of the retina. The drug “prevents synaptic degeneration and maintains retinal ganglion cell function despite sustained elevation of intraocular pressure,” the article states.
Stop irreversible damage
SPG302 is a small molecule with synaptogenic properties, that is to say capable of stimulating the formation and maintenance of neuronal synapses. The compound is being developed by biotechnology company Spinogenix and is already in clinical research for other neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous systemsuch as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and certain psychiatric disorders. These data are essential, as the authors explain, “because they indicate that the drug has successfully passed initial safety evaluations in humans.”
Among the authors, we distinguish ophthalmologist Robert N. Weinreb, one of the international leaders in glaucoma research, alongside specialists in retinal neurobiology and translational pharmacology. The team emphasized that these results “validate the hypothesis that synaptic loss is an early and determining step in the progression of glaucoma and that Intervening at this stage could stop the damage before it is irreversible.“.
“The implications for clinical practice are relevant, although still preliminary,” cautions the research team. For now, There are no specific clinical trials of SPG302 in glaucoma patients.. Before the drug can be used in humans for this indication, it will be necessary “to demonstrate that the effects observed in animals are reproduced in humans and that the treatment is safe and effective in the long term in the human eye”. This process involves new phases of clinical trials and can take several years.
If these results are confirmed in humans, “SPG302 could become the first targeted therapy specifically to protect optic nerve neurons and their synaptic connections, complementing or transforming the current approach to glaucoma. » The study thus reinforces an “emerging line of research that points towards Saving vision does not only depend on controlling intraocular pressure, but to preserve neural connections before visual damage is irreversible.
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