白内障 z-bo 2020-10-20 373

　　Researchers in the United States recently discovered that eye drops made from naturally occurring steroid compounds can effectively reduce the symptoms of cataracts in mice. This study and another similar study published earlier this year indicate that surgery may no longer be the only way to treat cataracts in the near future.

　　Cataract is an important eye disease that causes blindness all over the world. Cataracts usually occur in the elderly, unless in some cases it is caused by genetic factors. The human lens has two proteins, cryAA and cryAB, which have the function of preventing the aggregation of other proteins in the lens due to damage and ensuring the transparency of the lens. However, as we age, the activity of these two proteins gradually decreases, and we cannot completely prevent the aggregation of other proteins. When these proteins aggregate into smaller particles, some of the light that initially passes through the lens will scatter, causing vision loss and even blindness. Currently, the only way to treat cataracts is to surgically remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an intraocular lens. Although this method is effective, many patients cannot undergo surgery in time for various reasons, which seriously affects their quality of life.

　　Researchers at the University of Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis and other universities believe that if drugs are used to enhance the activity of CryAA and CryAB, the symptoms of cataracts can be relieved without surgery. This idea is feasible in theory, but it is impossible to measure the activity of these two proteins in practice, and it is certainly impossible to accurately screen drugs that can improve the activity. , "Drugs" (cannot drag) proteins. To solve this problem, researchers tried to observe whether drug molecules can change the thermal properties of the two proteins through thermal analysis. They used this method to successfully screen out steroid compounds. Experiments on mice, whether they are genetic or aging, have shown that eye drops made with this compound in mice with cataracts have a significant improvement in vision after dripping water droplets for 4 weeks. being shown.

　　There is no single coincidence. In July this year, researchers in the United States and China discovered that eye drops made with different steroids can relieve cataract symptoms in dogs, but the two groups of researchers took the drug in completely different ways. I screened (documents) insiders who said it was an exciting discovery. He also found that there are still many unknowns behind two worthy studies, such as how steroids interact with these proteins and eventually become a new drug for human cataracts.