"Found a way to restore lost vision"... Korean researchers develop the world's first retinal regeneration technology

Domestic researchers have succeeded in developing the world's first new drug capable of restoring damaged vision.

On the 30th, Professor Jinwoo Kim's research team from KAIST's Department of Biological Sciences announced that they have developed a treatment method to regenerate retinal nerves and restore vision in patients with retinal diseases.

The newly developed substance regenerates the damaged retina itself, restoring vision regardless of the type of retinal disease.

If the thin membrane covering the eye is damaged, it can impair vision or cause objects to appear distorted.

There are several types of retinal diseases, and the Korean Retina Society lists retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and macular degeneration as the four major retinal diseases.

It is a serious disease that can lead to blindness if the condition worsens.

The research team discovered a protein called 'PROX1' that plays a role in inhibiting the dedifferentiation of Müller glial cells in mammals, and they found that when the PROX1 protein produced in the retina accumulates in cells, the retina does not regenerate.

The research team discovered an antibody that binds to this Prox1 protein and found that when administered to mice, retinal nerve cells regenerated and vision was restored. When this antibody was injected into the eyes of mice with damaged retinas, their vision was restored even after two weeks. Additionally, the vision recovery effect lasted for more than six months.

There are already treatments for retinal diseases available on the market, but they only prevent the condition from worsening and cannot restore already damaged vision.

The research team plans to develop a therapeutic using this technology and aims to begin clinical trials by 2028.

According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of patients with the four major retinal diseases in Korea has been increasing annually, exceeding 1.1 million as of 2023.

 

 

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In treatments that only barely maintain damaged vision or delay deterioration after injury

Finally, the possibility of developing a new drug that can enable recovery has increased.

 

I also want to applaud the achievements of domestic researchers. It has already been validated in mouse experiments, and now clinical trials are underway.

I'm so excited because it's called Mokjeon~~