They will try to restore vision by rejuvenating the neurons in the retina

It is an approach that not only attempts to slow the disease, but also rejuvenate retinal cells.

Until now, losing vision due to degeneration of the optic nerve meant an almost definitive sentence, damage occurs, neurons die, there is no regeneration, now a biotechnology company wants to change that fact, Life Biosciences is taking an experimental genetic therapy called ER-100 to the clinic.

The proposal is to redefine aged neurons towards a younger and more functional state through epigenetic reprogramming. The target is the so-called optic neuropathies, a group of diseases that cause irreversible vision loss when retinal ganglion cells die.

These cells are responsible for connecting the eye with the brain and once lost they do not regenerate naturally. The therapy is based on Life Bio's partial epigenetic reprogramming platform and instead of altering the DNA, it modifies biochemical markers that regulate which genes are activated or silenced, the so-called epigenetic patterns.

The method uses three transcription factors known as Yamanaka factors OCG4, SOX2, KLF4, collectively called OSK. These factors are capable of reversing cellular aging patterns, restoring methylation marks associated with younger cells. In preclinical studies, ER-100 was delivered directly into the eye by intravitreal injection.

According to the company, the results showed restoration of methylation patterns linked to cellular age, improvement of visual function and efficacy observed even in primates, these data led to FDA approval for the first clinical trial in humans, if it works, the impact will go far beyond ophthalmology. Life Bio already indicates plans to expand the platform to other age-related diseases, where accumulated cellular damage is the central factor.