Research Reveals Key Protein to Improve Eyesight
New research, published in an MDPI journal, has revealed a protein that could improve eyesight.
As it stands, the quality of your eyesight is based on your family line. If one or more of your parents has poor eyesight, you probably will too. Eyesight also naturally deteriorates as you get older. This makes problems worse with age. This issue affects so many people around the world. The WHO estimates that over 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment of some kind. That’s around 26% of people. This is therefore an area where research is needed.
MDPI’s journals are always publishing important research. The knowledge shared helps to improve medical practices and human health. There is such a stark need for research on the quality of eyesight. This makes it especially important.
A study published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) reveals that a certain protein can protect against the degeneration of the eye.
PEDF
Meet PEDF, pigment epithelium-derived factor. It’s a protein found in the SERPINF1 gene in humans. It’s present in the retina of the eye.
How the Retina Impacts Eyesight
The retina, from the Latin ‘net’, lines the eyeball. This tissue layer actively converts new light into signals for the brain to interpret. This creates a visual image for the viewer.
How Does PEDF Work to Protect Eyesight?
The protein PEDF was discovered in the 1980s. A research group from Pennsylvania State University was studying the retina. They found that there was a protein acting differently from the others. They isolated the protein. It was given the official name pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF).
Since its discovery, it has been shown to have a great amount of potential. It has been nominated as a possible treatment for cancer and heart disease. Now, thanks to the research by Dr. Becerra, Dr. Crawford, and Dr. Rebustini, PEDF has been found to protect the eye from aging.
New Eyesight Findings
The IJMS study is the first to show that ‘just removing PEDF leads to a host of gene changes that mimic aging in the retina,’ stated Dr. Becerra.
The experiment used a cohort of three-month-old mice to investigate how the protein protects the eye. Many scientific studies are conducted on mice. This is because their anatomy resembles that of a human. This discovery shows that PEDF protects the retina of the mouse eye, and also the human eye.
It helps the eye to withstand trauma and ageing. This opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to preventing blindness and making life more comfortable for the elderly.
What Now for PEDF?
The next steps require further research into how PEDF can be used effectively. How can the protein be increased in the eye, with optimal results for decreasing the likelihood of aging?
IJMS and other MDPI journals have space available for new research into eyesight improvement.
MDPI has a journal dedicated to eyesight and vision studies. It’s called Vision. It is headed by Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Andrew Parker from the University of Oxford. Vision currently has several Special Issues open for submissions, including ‘Cybervision: Investigating Vision and Visual Cognition through Web-Based Studies’.
With an Impact Factor of 4.964, the Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM) is a popular outlet for eye-related research. It has a section on ‘Ophthalmology’. It’s dedicated to the eye and its different parts and functions. As an example, the Special Issue ‘Recent Clinical Advances in Macular Degeneration and Retinal Diseases’ is open for submissions until the 31st of October 2022.
There’s so much space for innovative research in these journals and more. You can find out more about how to submit to a journal in your research area with our article about the MDPI submission process.
Following feedback in the comments, the title was changed from ‘Research Reveals How to Maintain Good Eyesight’ to ‘Research Reveals Key Protein to Improve Eyesight’.
The first line was changed from ‘Want to see better? There may now be a way to protect your eyesight.’ to ‘New research, published in an MDPI journal, has revealed a protein that could improve eyesight.’
Thanks Katherine for this path breaking article. I wonder if this is helpful for ARMD (age related macular degeneration) patients? Degenerative eye diseases are very tough both for the patient and the caretaker. Anything which offers a ray of hope is very welcome. Thanks again.
Hi Sumer, thanks very much for reading!
You can actually find information about this in the IJMS manuscript. The authors mention age-related macular degeneration in the Introduction section. They conclude that ‘our study provides evidence of the importance of PEDF signaling in age-related disease processes’.
Very misleading article. The research mentions how the PEDF protein shields against trauma and ageing but does not delve on whether one needs to take supplements or eat food that is a source of this protein. So how may one “maintain good eyesight” isn’t really covered by the article.
Hi Vikram, thank you very much for your helpful feedback.
I have updated the article to reflect this. To be clear, at this time, we don’t know how exactly to use the PEDF protein to improve eyesight. Research is still ongoing.