A recent study has captured the attention of the public and the scientific community with new findings about the link between gut microbiota and vision loss. The study showed that when the retinal barrier is damaged, bacteria from the gut can penetrate the internal structures of the eye and contribute to the development of diseases that lead to vision loss.
A team of researchers from China and the UK has made a major discovery that could change the way we understand and treat certain eye diseases. They found that in mice with a mutation in a gene known as Crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1), bacteria from the gut enter damaged areas of the eye. This mutation is a known culprit in some inherited eye diseases that can lead to significant vision loss or even blindness, writes ScienceAlert.
The CRB1 mutation affects the retina, the most important part of the eye that is responsible for converting light into the images we see. Normally, our retina has a delicate structure that allows it to efficiently capture light, but in mice with a mutation in this gene, this structure does not develop properly. This led the researchers to wonder if the presence of certain bacteria in the eye was contributing to the damage. During the study, they found that a protein produced by the CRB1 gene, which helps maintain protective barriers in both the gut and the eye, is not produced properly when the gene is mutated. This defect does allow bacteria to leave the gut, travel through the bloodstream, and enter the eye, which can lead to vision loss.
In experiments, treating mice with antibiotics reduced retinal damage and prevented some of the vision loss, leading scientists to suggest that controlling bacteria could be a new way to treat these diseases. When the researchers corrected the CRB1 mutation in the gut, it didn't fix the problem of the compromised barrier, but the manipulation did reduce retinal damage. This suggests that the presence of bacteria, not just the barrier disruption, is a key factor in the development of these diseases.
This study opens up a new avenue for understanding and potentially treating eye diseases linked to the CRB1 mutation. By uncovering a subtle pathway for bacteria from the gut to the eye, the scientists suggest that treatments targeting these bacteria could even help prevent blindness in some cases. Although their research is in its early stages and is mainly conducted in mice, its results are promising for the millions of people who suffer from vision loss. Not only does it shed light on a new connection between the gut and eye health, it also suggests that studying the role of gut bacteria could lead to innovative treatments for a range of diseases in the future.
