Free Republic

Müller glia (green) and their progeny (red) regenerate nerve cells and photoreceptors in a mouse retina. Credit: Ksenia Gnedeva/USC ============================================================================== A USC research team discovered that a single genetic signal may be preventing both hearing and vision cells from repairing themselves. By turning off this signal in mice, they triggered cell growth in parts of the ear and eye — a step toward possible future therapies for hearing and vision loss. A new mouse study from the USC Stem Cell lab of Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD, suggests that the same genes may control the regeneration of sensory cells in both the...

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,...