Italian researchers claim that eye drops containing nerve growth factor may be able to protect the optic nerve and retinal nerve cells from the damage caused by glaucoma and in some cases even restore some vision.
The team led by Dr Stefano Bonini, professor and chairman of the department of ophthalmology at the University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico, found that the topical use of nerve growth factor, which is easily absorbed by the eye in drop form, spared retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from nerve damage caused by the build-up of eye pressure associated with glaucoma.
The team tested the effect of RGCs in rats whose eyes had been injected with saline to induce the effect of glaucoma. Those given the eye drops showed decreased levels of RGC loss. The untreated rats lost 40 per cent of their RGCs through cell death resulting from seven weeks of raised IOP.
Three patients with advanced glaucoma were treated with NGF eye drops for three months. Results showed that the vision of two had improved, while the third patient stabilised. The improvement remained up to 18 months after treatment.
Dr Bonini told BBC Online: 'Although neuroprotection in glaucoma has already been attempted with several compounds, this is the first time an improvement in visual function is observed in patients with advanced optic nerve damage.'