- Drugs already on sale could prevent age-related macular degeneration
- Condition is the most common form of blindness among the elderly
- Happens when a layer of cells at the back of the eye become damaged
- Few treatments available and there is no way to prevent it from occuring
Fiona Macrae Science Editor For The Daily Mail
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Millions of people could be prevented from going blind by drugs designed to treat depression and strengthen bones, research suggests.
In tests on mice, drugs already on sale for other conditions prevented the first stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The most common form of blindness in the elderly, AMD begins with damage to a single layer of cells at the back of the eye called the retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE.
Age-related macular degeneration is the most common form of blindness in the elderly. It occurs when damage happens to a single layer of cells at the back of the eye
As the disease progresses, it spreads to other cells and central vision deteriorates, making it increasingly difficult to carry out everyday tasks such as reading, driving and watching TV.
AMD affects more than 600,000 Britons and the number is expected to double in the next 35 years as the population ages.
But there are few treatments – and no way of preventing it.
The US researchers showed two mechanisms that would normally keep the RPE healthy are weak in AMD.
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They then identified drugs that boosted the protection.
These included an anti-depressant called desipramine and drugs used to treat osteoporosis a – condition in which bones become fragile.
Previous research has found that long-term users of the drugs are less likely to develop AMD.
And when given to mice with AMD, the medicines restored the health of their RPE cells, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports.
Researcher Aparna Lakkaraju, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: ‘These studies raise the possibility of treatments that could slow or prevent macular degeneration.
‘We hope that a pharmaceutical company will license this process and start the necessary trial.
Drugs designed to strengthen bones and an anti-depressant called desipramine could prevent millions from losing their sight by protecting two mechanisms which help to keep a vital eye cells healthy
‘The safety profiles of these drugs have been documented for decades.
‘There is certainly no guarantee of success but we need a way to prevent macular degeneration.’
If the drugs are found to prevent AMD in people, the fact they have already been deemed safe for use in other diseases should speed their path to market.
Cathy Yelf, chief executive of the Macular Society, said: ‘AMD is a devastating condition which has a huge impact on the lives of those affected.
‘This latest research is encouraging and we welcome any treatments which can slow the progression of this debilitating condition.
‘Our ageing society means many more people are developing the condition. The number of people with AMD is expected to double by 2050.
‘It’s an urgent public health issue and we need to find a solution.’
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