Diabetes drugs can cure blindness

Research results of scientists from the US, published on 7/5 in the journal Science of Visual and Eye Investigation (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science) showed that the drug metformin, a popular therapy Treating millions of patients with Type 2 diabetes today, may become an effective treatment for blindness.

In experimental mouse and cell culture experiments, scientists have found that metformin , the ingredient that is used to control blood sugar in diabetic and diabetic patients, has important uses. The other is a significant reduction in the effect of uveitis , which causes inflammation of the outer surface tissue of the eyeball, causing blindness in humans.

Currently, Uveitis is responsible for 10-15% of all blindness in the United States, and the leading cause of high blindness worldwide.

The only treatment currently available to treat the disorder is steroids . But steroids will produce serious side effects and will not be used for a long time.

Kota Ramana Professor with the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston (UTMB) said that Uveitis originated from many causes, most commonly due to infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders, all of these causes. has produced eye sore inflammation. The study confirms that Metformin inhibits and blocks the inflammation of the eyeball in the eyeball.

Scientists have discovered the benefits of metformin when testing on mice.

Professor Satish Srivastava, UTMB, co-author of the study, said: "We find that this drug is really a good treatment and has a very good anti-inflammatory effect. If we provide this amount in advance. For mice, they did not develop the uveitis agent, but if they provided this therapy after uveitis had grown, they would have anti-inflammatory and disease prevention effects, obviously, Metformin has anti-inflammatory properties. very strong".

According to the researchers, metformin works by activating an enzyme called AMPK , which blocks the activity of the NF-kappa B protein . The inhibition of NF-kappa B prevents the production of molecules that show signs of inflammation, cell division and chemokines, which are necessary to create and maintain uveitis.

Since metformin is widely used as a therapy for diabetes, scientists believe it can become an effective anti-uveitis drug worldwide.