Scientists Discover How to Stop Vision Loss Before It Starts

Scientists have identified molecules that can protect the eye’s cone cells from degeneration, a major cause of vision loss. The discovery points to new drug targets—and even uncovers compounds that may be harmful.

Researchers led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), along with an international team, have uncovered genetic pathways and chemical compounds that can help protect cone photoreceptors. These cells are damaged in diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss.

Why Cone Cells Matter for Sight

Cone photoreceptors are located in the macula and play a crucial role in everyday vision tasks like reading, recognizing faces, and seeing color. When these cells die, as they do in many inherited retinal disorders and macular degeneration, central vision begins to fade. Despite years of research, there are still no approved treatments that can stop this process. This study, led by first authors Stefan Spirig, Alvaro Herrero Navarro, and colleagues, tackles that challenge using a human-based experimental model.

Large-Scale Screening Reveals Risks and Protective Compounds

The team tested more than 2,700 compounds across 20,000 human retinal organoids. Their findings revealed both promise and caution:

• Certain classes of compounds were found to harm cone cells, raising important safety concerns.
• Several molecules were identified that help protect cones from degeneration.
• Blocking casein kinase 1 emerged as a key mechanism for preserving these cells.

To carry out the study, scientists labeled cone photoreceptors so they could track their survival over time under stress conditions designed to mimic disease. This allowed for a systematic analysis of compounds with known molecular targets.

Key Mechanism Identified for Cone Survival

The researchers observed clear trends. Two kinase inhibitors repeatedly showed strong protective effects, keeping cone cells alive over extended periods. These benefits were consistent across different stress conditions and were also confirmed in a mouse model of retinal degeneration, suggesting the findings could apply more broadly.

Open Dataset to Accelerate Vision Research

In addition to identifying protective strategies, the team has made a detailed dataset publicly available. It includes information on all tested compounds, their molecular targets, and how they affect cone survival in human tissue. This resource is expected to support the development of new treatments aimed at preserving central vision and help researchers better evaluate potential retinal toxicity.

A Step Closer to Preventing Vision Loss

By combining advances in retinal biology, organoid technology, and large-scale drug screening, this work provides a strong foundation for future therapies. It brings scientists closer to a long-standing goal in eye research: protecting the cells that make clear vision possible.

 

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US researchers use AI to develop powerful new antibiotic

In a first, US researchers have used artificial intelligence to identify a powerful new antibiotic capable of killing several drug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotics have been a cornerstone of modern medicine since the discovery of penicillin, but their effectiveness has seriously diminished in recent years as overuse has led to bacteria becoming resistant.

The scientists at MIT and Harvard trained a machine learning algorithm to analyze chemical compounds capable of fighting infections using different mechanisms than those of existing drugs.

Their findings were published in the journal Cell on Thursday.

"Our approach revealed this amazing molecule which is arguably one of the more powerful antibiotics that has been discovered," said James Collins, a professor of medical engineering at MIT and one of the paper's senior authors.

The team trained the model on about 2,500 molecules, identifying a compound they called "halicin" -- after the fictional artificial intelligence system from "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- for real world testing on strains of bacteria taken from patients and grown in lab dishes.

It was able to kill many bacteria that are resistant to treatment, including Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

It also cured two mice with A. baumannii, which has infected many US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The strain of the infection in the mice was resistant to all known antibiotics, but a halicin ointment completely cured the mice within 24 hours.

The idea of using predictive computer models for discovery of drugs is not new, but had never been successful until now.

"The machine learning model can explore... large chemical spaces that can be prohibitively expensive for traditional experimental approaches," said Regina Barzilay, a professor of computer science at MIT.

The development raises hope for the future of antibiotics, and comes at a critical time: It is predicted that without immediate action to discover and develop new drugs, deaths attributable to resistant infections will reach 10 million a year by 2050.

The researchers plan to study halicin further and work with a pharmaceutical company or nonprofit to develop it for use in humans.

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Immune-boosting compound extends survival of pancreatic cancer in mice

Researchers have found a chemical compound that promotes a vigorous immune assault against pancreatic cancer.

The chemical compound extends survival by months in mice. The findings suggested a way to improve immunotherapy for the deadly disease in patients.

The researchers identified a compound, called ADH-503, that interferes with the migration of myeloid cells. Normally, pancreatic tumors are teeming with myeloid cells that suppress the immune response.

When the researchers gave the compound to mice with pancreatic cancer, the number of myeloid cells in and near the tumors dropped, and the remaining myeloid cells were of the kind that promoted, rather than suppressed, immune responses.

This environment translated into greater numbers of cancer-killing T cells in the tumor, significantly slower tumor growth and longer survival.

Then, the researchers investigated whether creating this same environment could make pancreatic tumors susceptible to standard immunotherapy. First, they treated mice with a so-called PD-1 inhibitor, a standard immunotherapy used to treat other kinds of cancer.

Unsurprisingly, they saw no effect. But when the researchers gave the mice the immunotherapy in conjunction with ADH-503, the tumors shrank and the mice survived significantly longer.

In some experiments, all the tumors disappeared within a month of treatment, and all the mice survived for four months, when the researchers stopped monitoring them. In comparison, all the untreated mice died within six weeks.

"Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease, and we are in desperate need of new therapeutic approaches," said  an associate professor of medicine and of pathology and immunology. "In animal studies, this small molecule led to very marked improvements and was even curative in some cases. We are hopeful that this approach could help pancreatic cancer patients."

While pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, only about three percent of clinical trials for cancer immunotherapies target pancreatic cancer.

"You can't make a one-to-one translation between animal studies and people, but this is very encouraging,"the author said. "More study is needed to understand if the compound is safe and effective in people."

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Smoking may also make you blind besides damaging lungs

Do you smoke cigarettes? Think twice before taking another drag as it may not only damage your heart or lungs but can also make you blind, experts say.

Smoking harms the retina -- the light-sensing tissue in the back of the eyes, responsible for transmitting images to the brain.

"It's like a film of a camera which converts light rays into impulses which help us see,"says an ophthalmologist.

"Smoking increases the chemical compounds in the bloodstream thereby reducing blood and oxygen flow to the retina. This makes smokers two times more susceptible to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)," the Dr. added.

A recent study,  indicated significant changes in the smokers' red-green and blue-yellow colour vision, which suggested that consuming substances with neurotoxic chemicals, such as those in cigarettes, may cause overall colour vision loss.

Smoking is one of the largest preventable causes of various diseases and premature deaths worldwide.

India was among the top 10 countries together accounting for almost two-thirds of the world's smokers (63.6 per cent) in 2015, according to doctors.

Smoking can further affect a bunch of eye diseases like cataract, glaucoma etc. While diseases related to the front of the eye are easily recognised, retinal diseases like AMD and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) might develop silently and lead to progressive vision loss if not treated on time.

"The vision loss caused by retinal diseases cannot be reversed. However, if the condition is diagnosed on time the disease can be managed effectively to prevent further loss of vision. Recognition of symptom is a key aspect for timely diagnosis," an Ophthalmologist/Eye and Vitreoretinal Surgeon, told.

"The symptoms of these retinal diseases are often confused with those of old age or other eye disorders which leads to delayed diagnosis," he added.

People with diabetes need to be extra cautious of any vision changes and need to follow a healthy lifestyle as they are more susceptible to diabetic retinopathy.

"Today, there are treatment options available that can slow or halt disease progression. Some of the treatment options available in India include laser photocoagulation, anti-VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) injections and combination therapy which includes laser and anti-VEGF treatment," Dudani asserted.

According to experts, owing to an unhealthy lifestyle, dietary habits and constant stress and exposure to digital screens, the incidence of retinal diseases and other eye disorders is rising among the working population.

They say that a cessation programme can help an individual quit smoking.

"It can be advised to consult an expert and take up a cessation programme to quit smoking. Other than this, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and including a range of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, that have antioxidants can help maintain retinal health," the Dr. said.

"Dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach, lettuce etc. have lutein and zeaxanthin - both important nutrients for eye health. Certain vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin A also help in overall eye health and help prevent the progression of AMD and DME," he noted.

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