Working in mice, scientists at Washington University
School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a treatment that prevents
the optic nerve injury that occurs in glaucoma," according to
Science Daily. "Researchers increased the resistance of optic nerve cells to damage
by repeatedly exposing the mice to low levels of oxygen similar to those
found at high altitudes. The stress of the intermittent low-oxygen
environment induces a protective response called tolerance that makes
nerve cells -- including those in the eye -- less vulnerable to harm. The study, published online in
Molecular Medicine, is the first to show that tolerance induced by preconditioning can protect against a neurodegenerative disease.
Read more.
No comments:
Post a Comment