glaucoma

New drug class could have wide health impact

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Vaptans are a new class of drug that target a wide variety of conditions by inhibiting vasopressin, which regulates the circulatory system. Among the new drugs in development are relcovaptan, which is being developed to treat painful periods as well as Raynaud's disease. Another group of vaptans are diuretics that remove water from a patient without affecting their balance of salt mineral. And vaptans in the pipeline target kidney failure, diabetic nephropathy depression, glaucoma and brain hemorrhage.

"This is a nice review of an emerging class of drugs," the Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Gary S. Francis tells HealthDay. "But it is a little early to know if they will prove to be highly useful."

- read the report from Medical News Today
- read the story from HealthDay

deCODE discovers key to a subset of glaucoma

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Scientists at Iceland's deCODE Genetics have found the genetic mutation that causes exfoliation glaucoma, a primary cause of blindness in the elderly. A mutation in the LOXL1 gene is apparently the sole cause of the condition, which is a subset of glaucoma. And in a sign of how fast genomics can trigger new screening tests these days, the company says it will start marketing a blood test for the mutation by the end of this year. A therapy to control the gene, though, will take years to develop.

The scientists involved in the study say that they believe the LOXL1 gene triggers the accumulation of elastin polymer fibers in the eye, which causes exfoliation glaucoma. The condition affects up to 20 percent of people over the age of 60 and is resistant to currently used therapies.

"This discovery is remarkable and important because the genetics has led us directly to what appears to be the sole cause of a devastating common disease," said Kari Stefansson, the CEO of deCODE Genetics. The company made the discover by comparing the DNA of 16,000 people that either suffered from glaucoma or were healthy.

- see the press release from deCODE
- here's the article from The Independent

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Nanoparticle developed for new drug delivery system

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

A scientist at the University of Central Florida has helped develop a nanoparticle that apparently helps deliver high concentrations of medicine for treating glaucoma. The tiny size of the particle allows it to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that typically obstructs therapies. Sudipta Seal, an engineering professor with appointments in UCF's Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center and the Nanoscience Technology Center, says that only 1 percent to 3 percent of existing glaucoma therapies actually make it to the eye. Seal's team created a specialized cerium oxide nanoparticle and bound it with a compound that has been shown to block the activity of an enzyme (hCAII) believed to play a central role in causing glaucoma. Nanoparticles would also be less abrasive than complex polymers and this nano approach holds significant promise for use with other therapies.

- see the report on their work

New agent disables genetic diseases

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

A study to appear in the June 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal describes a new agent, called "Zorro-LNA," which has the potential to stop genetic disorders in their tracks. In the study, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, describe how they developed Zorro-LNA to bind with both strands of a gene's DNA simultaneously, effectively disabling that gene. This development has clinical implications for virtually every human condition caused by or worsened by dominant defective genes. Examples include: Huntington's disease, familial high cholesterol, polycystic kidney disease, some instances of glaucoma and colorectal cancer, and neurofibromatosis, among others.

"Zorro-LNA is a new substance that targets DNA and turns off genes," said co-author Edvard Smith of the Karolinska Institute. "It has the potential of becoming a new drug for the treatment of human genetic disease."

- check out the release on the genetic research project

Related Article:
Genetic therapy could cure 1,800 diseases. Report

Marijuana may help prevent Alzheimer's

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:01:39 -0400

The active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, may help prevent the formation of deposits in the brain which are linked to Alzheimer's. Scientists at Scripps Research Institute concluded that THC does a better job than commercial drugs at preventing the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from forming plaques that occur with Alzheimer's. While controversial, marijuana has a number of medical uses, including relieving glaucoma and pain along with the side effects of therapies for cancer and AIDS. The researchers at Scripps say that their new work in the field may help point the way to new therapies. There have been a number of studies, including one this week, that indicate that existing therapies for Alzheimer's are all but useless.

- here's the report on the study from the San Diego Union-Tribune