New target could help protect vision following optic nerve trauma

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February 11, 2019

Neuroscience Optic Nerve Disorders Regenerative Medicine

Basic Research

Grantee

Scientists from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University have discovered that removing a pro-inflammatory enzyme promotes regeneration after an injury to the optic nerve.

They have shown for the first time in a mouse model of tough-to-treat optic nerve trauma, that removing the enzyme arginase 2, which increases with injury, decreases neuron death in the retina as well as the degeneration of nerve fibers that connect neurons to each other and ultimately the brain.