Health · Medical Research · 20 hrs ago
Norrin treatment prevents vision loss in diabetic rats
University of Michigan researchers found that norrin treatment prevented vision loss in diabetic rats.
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, and it can lead to blindness.
Current treatments often target VEGF, a protein linked to abnormal, leaky blood vessels, but they require repeated injections and do not fully help many patients.
In the study, diabetic rats had lower levels of norrin as their vision declined, and injections of the molecule helped protect their vision.
Norrin also reduced retinal cell death and inflammation, including when treatment began after vision loss had started.
The findings are promising but have not established that norrin works in people.
Researchers are studying how norrin affects genes involved in restoring the blood-vessel barrier, while related drugs that activate norrin-responsive receptors are being developed for clinical trials.
University of Michigan researchers found that norrin treatment prevented vision loss in diabetic rats.
The rats’ norrin levels fell after they developed diabetes, alongside a decline in vision.
Norrin treatment also reduced retinal cell death and inflammation in the rats.
Treatment begun after vision loss had started prevented further loss in the animals.
The findings suggest norrin could help preserve vision in people with diabetes, but the reported results are from rats.
- Who
- University of Michigan researchers studied norrin treatment in diabetic rats.
- What
- Norrin treatment prevented vision loss and reduced retinal cell death and inflammation in the rats.
- When
- Not stated.
- Where
- The study was conducted by University of Michigan researchers; a more specific location is not stated.
- Why
- The researchers investigated potential ways to preserve vision in diabetic retinopathy.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Their norrin levels decreased, alongside a decline in vision.
Researchers found they could prevent vision loss in the diabetic rats.
Starting norrin treatment prevented further loss in the rats.
- Research team
- University of Michigan researchers
- Treatment studied
- Norrin
- Study subjects
- Diabetic rats
- Observed effect
- Treatment prevented vision loss
- Additional effects
- Reduced retinal cell death and inflammation
2 sources
What people are saying
There is an urgent need for new therapies that can help preserve vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy,
We are excited that norrin treatment can also reduce the loss of nerve cells involved in vision in diabetic rats,