Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered that people suffering from glaucoma are characterized by a sharp decrease in the levels of two natural compounds: agmatine and thiamine (vitamin B1). According to their work, published in the journal “Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science” (IOVS), the lack of these specific molecular components likely provokes inflammatory processes and the death of retinal neurons, which ultimately leads to the irreversible loss of vision. A team of specialists analyzed the intraocular fluid of nineteen patients with glaucoma and ten volunteers with healthy eyes, assessing the profile of one hundred and thirty-five metabolites. It was found that the concentration of agmatine and thiamine in patients was significantly below threshold values. Subsequently, these substances were tested on laboratory mice and retinal cell cultures: increasing the concentration of these substances helped reduce the inflammatory response, protected vulnerable cells from degradation, and even promoted the restoration of visual function in rodents. In the opinion of the authors, agmatine and thiamine have the potential to become predictive biomarkers for glaucoma, which would allow for the diagnosis of the disease at its earliest stage, prior to the manifestation of clinical signs. Furthermore, they could serve as a foundation for developing novel therapeutic approaches aimed not just at slowing the progression of the ailment, but also at directly protecting cellular structures from damage. In the future, scientists emphasize, routine blood testing for the presence of these markers could make timely glaucoma detection accessible to a wide range of people. It should be noted that experts previously tested the PRIMA system—an implant coupled with augmented reality glasses designed to restore vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration.
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