Researchers unveil pioneering approach to combat age-related vision loss

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/StockPhotoPro)

Researchers with Cirrus Therapeutics, the University of Bristol, and London’s Global University Institute of Ophthalmology have discovered a treatment option for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among older adults.¹

According to a study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers found that boosting a specific protein, IRAK-M, in retinal cells could offer a new and highly effective therapy for AMD.²

Patients diagnosed with AMD often present initially with blurred vision or seeing a black dot in their central vision. This can then expand to the point where there is no useful central vision. Currently, AMD affects approximately 200 million people worldwide, a number projected to rise to 288 million by 2040 with graying populations. The exact cause of AMD is complex and thought to involve a combination of aging, environmental, and lifestyle factors.¹

The team found that augmenting IRAK-M levels in retinal cells can significantly protect against retinal degeneration.

“This discovery represents the first pathway-agnostic approach toward AMD, offering a comprehensive treatment option for the millions of people who suffer from this debilitating condition,” Andrew Dick, MD, FRCS, FRCP, FRCO, head of the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology at the University of Bristol, Director of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Cirrus Therapeutics, said in the news release.

IRAK-M gene therapy prevents degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium. (Image Ccedit: Liu et al./Science Translational Medicine)

Jian Liu, PhD, the first author and senior research scientist at the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology of the University of Bristol, highlighted keys to the study in the news release.

“Since age stands as a primary risk factor for AMD, the gradual decrease of IRAK- M levels with age, which further declines in AMD, is a key way to identify the potential markers of early AMD progression and ultimately a new way of treatment,” he said in a statement.

Moreover, the scientists noted the discovery can build and improve upon current treatments for AMD, which are targeting single pathophysiology pathways.

“Our novel approach not only addresses the multiple pathways involved in treating AMD but also offers the most compelling and evidence-based strategy available today,” Cirrus Therapeutics co-founder and CEO Ying Kai Chan, PhD, said in a statement.

According to the news release, Cirrus Therapeutics was recently spun out of the University of Bristol to develop therapies related to this discovery.

The company noted its research was funded by Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah, the Rosetrees Trust, Stoneygate Trust, Underwood Trust, Macular Society, Sight Research UK, Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translation. It also was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) BRC Moorfields and UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology.

References:

1. Researchers unveil pioneering approach to combat age-related vision loss. EurekAlert! Accessed June 6, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1046798

2. Jian Liu et al.,Replenishing IRAK-M expression in retinal pigment epithelium attenuates outer retinal degeneration.Sci. Transl. Med.16,eadi4125(2024).DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.adi4125