Gut bacteria could play a role in eye disease, China-UK study finds
- Scientists focused on a gene known to cause inherited retinal degenerations and found link to the gut
- The eye disease – which can cause vision loss and blindness – could potentially be treated with antibiotics
Gut bacteria could be contributing to a group of eye diseases that can cause loss of vision and even blindness, researchers from Sun Yat-sen University and University College London have found.
That means they could potentially be treated with antibiotics, according to the study published in peer-reviewed journal Cell on February 26.
The eye diseases – known as inherited retinal degenerations – have more than 250 associated genes.
“The onset of [disease] typically varies from birth to early adulthood, with lifelong implications for patients and their families,” said the research team, led by Professor Wei Lai from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and Professor Richard Lee from UCL.
One gene found to cause this type of eye disease has been identified as the Crumbs homology 1, or CRB1 – and that is where the researchers found a link to gut bacteria.
“We found CRB1 was expressed both in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and in the gut,” the paper said, referring to the pigmented layer of the retina.
Inherited retinal degenerations have long been considered solely genetic eye conditions. But during their eight-year study, the researchers found that the CRB1 gene was expressed not just in the retinal barrier, but also in the epithelium – a thin, protective layer of cells – of the colon.