Promising Preliminary Results in Optic Nerve Recovery Study of NurExone’s ExoPTEN for Glaucoma

> Minimally Invasive treatment with ExoPTEN showed functional restoration of damaged eyes to healthy levels in animals

> Glaucoma is a common eye condition, particularly in older adults typically caused by optic nerve compression and pressure in the eye. The prevalence of glaucoma in the Western world is generally estimated to be around 2-3% in people aged 40 and older. The risk increases with age, and the prevalence can be higher in populations over 60. Estimated Number of People Affected in the United States alone, is over 3 million people, with many more cases likely undiagnosed.

> The study carried out under Prof. Ygal Rotenstreich and Dr. Ifat Sher of Sheba Medical Center explored the therapeutic effects of ExoPTEN on retinal function after ONC compared to healthy baseline levels, an untreated ONC control and ONC treated with naïve exosomes. Importantly ExoPTEN was administered minimally-invasively using suprachoroidal injection in a delivery system invented by Prof. Rotenstreich.

> As expected, the post-ONC control eyes exhibited a marked decline in retinal functionality, as evidenced by the lack of a peak (Fig. A – red graph). Experimental treatments with ExoPTEN (“ONC+PTEN”), showed promising results, with treated eyes exhibiting a peak similar to the healthy eye in the same animal indicating recovery of retinal response following optical nerve compression (Fig. B – green graph). The naïve exosome-treated rats (“ONC+EXO”) showed a lower peak and increased latency indicating a weaker response (Fig. C – brown graph). The results presented are from just 18 days following the ONC damage. These treatment findings suggest potential pathways for recovery of optic nerve function and overall healthy vision.

>Dr. Ifat Sher and Prof Ygal Rotenstreich of Sheba Medical Center commented: “While these results are preliminary, they form a solid foundation for further research. Our next steps include more extensive studies to validate these findings and explore their potential application for humans.”

Much more in the article (including graphics!) but the hope here is that we can effectively cure glaucoma, which blinds countless people, dramatically lowering quality of life. Obviously, this is just animal trials, but it’s exciting to see progress!