RNA therapy ‘could offer new eye disease treatment method’

Scientists in the US have found that therapeutic manipulation of RNA molecules could provide a new method of treating degenerative eye disorders.

A team from UT Southwestern Medical Center has found that blocking microRNA cluster members miR-23 and miR-27 can help to suppress the abnormal growth of blood vessels involved in conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

These RNA molecules are partially responsible for a vital biological process called angiogenesis, which can cause debilitating conditions if it becomes imbalanced.

It is thought that this treatment method can provide an alternative to vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, the efficacy of which can be limited in many cases.

Dr Shusheng Wang, co-senior author of the study, said further research involving other microRNAs is now necessary.

"We want to see if a combination of microRNAs and angiogenetic drugs have a synergetic effect on the progression of macular degeneration," he said.

NHS figures show that around 30 percent of people over 75 have early signs of AMD, while seven percent have more advanced cases.