A Major Scientific Advancement

This is nobel prize material, furthermore it may eventually allow thousands (possibly millions) of people suffering from Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy to maintain, or in some cases even regain their proper visual capacity. Below are portions of the article. Here you can find the entire article and a short video.

An amazing experiment at the University of Utah has successfully prevented, even reversed, two major eye diseases that can lead to blindness. Dr. Randall Olson, who heads up the university's Moran Eye Center, calls the findings "historic."

Researchers successfully activated a protein in mice that both prevented and reversed age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. This protein called robo4, when triggered, reversed abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye. It also stabilized the vessels to prevent leakage. These are the major villains in the two eye diseases.

Results of the mouse models look so good right now, human clinical trials are sure to follow. Those trials could begin within five years. Injections at first, but researchers eventually might be able to get protein molecules small enough to be administered via eye drops.

Beyond macular degeneration and retinopathy, robo4 might even have applications in treating SARS or pulmonary edema, in which blood leaks into the lung's airway spaces.