New drug for diabetic retinal diseases

According to a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers from John Hopkins University School of Medicine discovered a peptide called AXT107 was highly effective in suppressing the growth of abnormal vessels.The drug also lasts longer compared to other treatments.Current treatment procedures use the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drug aflibercept, which is injected directly into the eye of diabetic patients every 4-6 weeks.{{quote-A:R-W:480-I:2-Q: These frequent visits can become a burden for patients due to the discomfort and small risk of each injection, -WHO:Dr Jordan Green, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering}}Medical intervention is crucial to avoid blindness among diabetics showing symptoms of retinal diseases.Dr Jordan Green, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said current treatments were often taxing on patients.“These frequent visits can become a burden for patients due to the discomfort and small risk of each injection,” he said.Vascular diseases like retinopathy and eda – which result in abnormal blood vessels developing into tissues at the back of the eye – can cause leakage in the eye and are common causes of vision loss, especially among diabetics.Study author Dr Peter Campochiaro said unlike the current standard, which only targets the VEGF protein, their peptide also binds to cellular receptors that recognise growth factors like VEGF.“The cellular signals for vascular growth are blocked in many ways by the peptide, allowing it to have a stronger effect. The peptide can be manufactured for clinical use and scaled up very easily,” he said.“In addition to potentially improving treatment for patients, combined with needing less frequent clinical visits, this could bring down the cost of treating these diseases.”The longevity of AXT107 is due to its ability to develop a small, gel-like structure inside the eye that holds the peptides longer, which makes it an ideal medium when administered through inoculation together with aflibercept.