AMD and an eye protein

[willnick]

nature.com/articles/s41467-...

Here is a link to the paper cited about this.

Nick

[sindia3b]

Hi willnick have ugot wet or dry AMD

[willnick in reply to sindia3b]

Hi Sindia

I have dry, the main problem is quite bad distortion, especially in one eye.

[fed13]

Thanks willnick. Now we need a treatment, (?dietary/medication) to combat this rogue protein!. Any ideas from anyone?

[bloodshoteye]

“It also provides a new route to treatment by reducing the blood levels of FHR4 to restore immune system function in the eyes.”

Such hopeful, positive news! Let’s hope this can be developed soon- and proved effective. 🤞👍

[StokeySue]

It's very interesting, and the results are pretty clear cut

In fact i seems the protein in question, FHR4, is made in the liver and reaches the eye through the blood circulation.

It's part of the complement system, which I admit I don't entirely understand, but it is complicated and does things we need done as part of our immune defences.

So the only thing that would worry me about basing a treatment on it is that we's have to be careful to stop it damaging the eye, but not stop it doing useful work elsewhere

[willnick in reply to StokeySue]

The paper was way above my head, I just hope its allows some treatment options.

[StokeySue]

Some of it is on the fringes of what I was trained to understand, so I am vague on parts, as I said. But the difference between the patients and the controls is really striking, much more than you usually see in this kind of study, and then it links in really well to the genetics, which is great and not always the case,

.

And because FHR4 is not made in the eye, I suppose it gives you 2 lines of attack, you can try to reduce the blood concentration to a safer level, or you can try to stop it attacking the back of the retina.

[willnick in reply to StokeySue]

Thanks Sue - that is quite illuminating. Pity these things take so long.