Posted on 07/27/2024 9:36:08 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Drug repurposing shows promise in the treatment of retinal degenerations, according to a new study. A combination treatment incorporating three existing drugs—tamsulosin, metoprolol and bromocriptine—slowed disease progression in pre-clinical retinopathy models.
Drug repurposing refers to the use of existing drugs to treat diseases or conditions that they were not originally developed or approved for. The new study focused on drug repurposing in the context of inherited retinal degenerations, IRDs.
IRDs are a group of genetic diseases that cause the deterioration of retinal anatomy and function, leading to gradual loss of vision and often blindness. Most IRDs are currently inaccessible therapeutically, comprising an unmet medical need for a substantial population worldwide.
The researchers found that a combination treatment incorporating three drugs significantly slowed disease progression and decreased disease manifestation in four different animal models of IRD. The combination included the blood pressure and heart failure drug metoprolol, and tamsulosin, which is used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as the nowadays less commonly used Parkinson's disease drug bromocriptine.
In retinal degenerations, intracellular secondary messengers such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate and calcium are believed to be overactive, exacerbating the disease. Metoprolol, tamsulosin and bromocriptine suppress the activity of these secondary messengers via their own distinct cell membrane-receptor actions.
"We hypothesized that the combined effect of these drugs would alleviate the disease, which it indeed did in several distinct animal models of IRDs," Dr. Leinonen notes.
It is noteworthy that none of the drugs used in the study were effective against retinal degeneration on their own; instead, their combination was necessary for efficacy. According to Dr. Leinonen, the same phenomenon may apply to many diseases that are currently untreatable, and especially in multifactorial diseases, effective treatment may require multiple drugs to be used simultaneously.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
My late wife was experiencing macular degeneration based on a common genetic disorder based in the Ohio river region. There is some commonality for Native American people although her people are from the Louisiana area.
I wonder if this horseshit scattergun treatment could’ve alleviated some of her issues?
Their term for it was that it “significantly” helped.
Vitamin C 250 mg
Vitamin E 90 mg
Zn++ 40 mg
Cu++ 1 mg
Lutein 5 mg
Zeaxanthin 1 mg
Dosage: take 2 pills twice a day with food
--------------
Well, this composition, of the very kind of compounding as described by this article, is meant not to "cure" or reverse, but to stall the macular degenerative process for us older people. But there was a real problem with that doctor's advice. Although this specialist had in her hand a list of my prescribed and self-administered substances, she was suggesting that I ADD to that which I was already regularly taking, which apparently she just ignored!!
To me as a PhD in physical chemistry, that not only did not make sense, but verged on poisonong me with extra zinc; and furthermore, a month's supply would have cost about $35, or $370 a year!
Now, since I was already taking 500 mg of vitamin C and 50 mg zinc as gluconate (the limit on daily zinc recommended by other experts), I decided to look up the cost of adding vitamin E and the lutein (which is simply the powdered dried petals of marigold flowers, with the exact amount of zeaxanthin naturally occurrng proportionately in the petals) to what I was already taking. I already had some bottles of vitamin E waxing old in my medicine cabinet, not so far being taken; and I found that a month's supply of 6 mg lutein softgels was only $4.88 a bottle at Walmarts; so that's what I did. Just added the E and lutein/zeaxanthin pills to my regular stuff.
What happened in the eye examinations of the next two years, the result was that the macular degeneration had been halted, to the amazement of the opthalmologist, but what I was expecting.
So you see, one needs to make sure that these odd-ball non-intended use of these substances need to be carefully reviewed as applied to any individual, to make sure that any unintended unexpected negative results do not occur in other dimensions of one's health, eh?
All this recent repurposing pf drugs: 1) why did they not notice these benefits during the original studies by looking at side effects, 2)If the folks did not have the original purpose diseases does taking it then cause any harmful side effects?
Diagnosed with dry at first then deteriorating to wet over a year ago. On AREDS2 the whole time. Can’t say one way or the other whether it helps, but it certainly didn’t prevent going to wet! Ever since have been getting periodic needle injections into both eyes. These apparently have arrested and actually improved the condition, but not my idea of fun!
My wife’s dry macular degeneration went to wet in her right eye about two years ago, so she has to get an injection in that eye every 4-6 weeks. Seems to be arresting the condition, at least so far. The left eye is still dry MD for now.
It’s a scary thing. I wish you the best with your eyes.
Forgot to say that she takes something like AREDS-2 but zinc-free, because any sort of zinc supplement gives her really bad headaches.
Thanks!
Good luck to her! As the eye shows stability/improvement, they space out the shots further apart. I’m up to 11 weeks in one eye and 6 in the other. Hope to be able to end entirely! No matter how far apart, each time you get the bloody shots it seems like you just had one! Hope she wins over time!
PS
One “trick” I learned, if there is any dry eye at all, use drops for the condition. Makes a huge difference in eye chart performance! I use Systane but there are many choices. My 12 year old dog was basically blind until a vet specialist got him on dry eye drops and he got his vision back virtually overnight!😀
Thanks for the eye drop suggestion. She does use Refresh brand lubricating drops already, ever since having cornea transplants back in 2018. We’ve both had cataract surgeries as well.
I’m getting off easy so far, just use Travoprost drops for glaucoma. I’m thankful that all of these eye treatments are available nowadays.
Good luck with the glaucoma! Hope you don’t need tunneling! Good that wife uses the drops.
Thanks. It’s been controlled pretty well for the last 15 years or so, with pressures staying in the 15-18 range usually. I don’t know what tunneling is, some kind of surgery I assume, but I hope to avoid any surgery as long as possible.
<21 good!
Whew, a PhD in P-Chem...impressive! Based on its reputation among Chem majors I knew, I (successfully) avoided P-Chem like the plague en route to a BS in Zoology (w/a minor in chemistry).
Physical chemistry was one of the toughest courses I ever took. I managed to avoid it until grad school. My dad took it in the ‘40s on his way to an M.D., and told me once that it was the first time in his life he got a grade below an A (yep, 4.0 through grade school, high school, and most of pre-med), and he was happy to get the B.
I have great respect for anyone who got a Ph.D. in that subject.
“I have great respect for anyone who got a Ph.D. in that subject.”
As do I! I was thankful that it wasn’t a required course in the curriculum for a zoology major.
How’d you do in P-Chem...did you beat your dad’s grade?
I did, actually. One of the very few times I ever did better than him at anything.
Hats off to you!
Well, it wasn’t really a straightforward comparison. My course was lectures and problem sets, while his had laboratory work as well. At the time, Dad was working full time at a cannery to help support his mother and brother while he went through pre-med in three years. He and a classmate got permission to use the lab over a weekend, and they ran the semester’s worth of experiments in 48 hours.
I never had to do anything like that, and doubt I could have. He was a remarkable man.
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