Alcohol abuse drug can be repurposed to treat a blinding disorder

The study, funded by Fight for Sight, UCL Business, and Moorfields Eye Charity, has resulted in two articles which were published in this month's issue of the Journal for Insight.

Scarring conjunctivitis is often caused by mucous membrane pemphigoid and is a major cause of chronic pain and sight loss. Current treatment methods are not fully effective with one in five patients still going blind:

• Mucous membrane pemphigoid is a severe autoimmune disorder in which the skin and mucous membranes blister and scar.
• OMMP affects an estimated 1 in 1 million people. Women and men are equally affected.
• Conjunctival scarring can also be caused by other conditions including Stevens-Johnsonsyndrome, trachoma and atopic keratoconjunctivitis.

Read the articles in full via Journal for Insight here (subscription required)

• Ahadome et al. Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition blocks mucosal fibrosis in human and mouse ocular scarring. JCI Insight. 2016;1(12):e87001 Pre-publication URL: http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/87001?key=8a651b204e228f66cb72 Final URL: http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/87001 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.87001
• Ahadome et al. Classical dendritic cells mediate fibrosis directly via the retinoic acid pathway, in severe eye allergy. JCI Insight. 2016;1(12):e87012 Pre-publication URL: http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/87012?key=5af8c5a9762ed12a91e2 Final URL: http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/87012 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.87012