Scientists have discovered what acute vision depends on
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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Researchers from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, in collaboration with a team of scientists from the Salk Institute in California, were the first to discover that a particular protein is important not only for the health of the retina, but also for understanding and possible methods of treating other diseases of the immune, reproductive, vascular and nervous systems , as well as various types of cancer.
The results of the work of scientists, presented on the pages of the scientific publication "Neuron", underscore the role of protein S in maintaining retinal health due to its participation in the process of reducing photoreceptors, photosensitive neurons in the eye - phagocytosis.
These photoreceptors are constantly growing and lengthening from the inner end. In order to maintain a constant length, they must contract from the outer end with special cells called retinal pigment epithelium.
Without such a reduction, which also removes a host of free radicals and toxic byproducts generated by a biochemical reaction, photoreceptors have been exposed to toxic effects and degeneration, processes that lead to loss of vision.
The cell receptor - Mer molecule is important for our vision in the process of photoreceptor reduction, which is vitally important for the retina of the eye. The mutation of this cell receptor can eventually lead to blindness.
The researchers studied the effect of molecules that activate the cellular receptor - the molecule Mer. In particular, these two molecules are Gas6 and the protein S.
To show the importance of these molecules to the human body, Dr. Tal Berstin-Cohen of the Hebrew University conducted an animal experiment and found that both of these proteins are necessary for activating the phagocytosis process and thus maintaining retinal health.
These results can be of practical importance, since protein S works as a powerful blood anticoagulant. The lives of people with protein S deficiency are at risk because of the threat of thrombosis and thromboembolism.
These results open new avenues for a more detailed study of the role of protein S in the activation of receptors in other tissues. This protein can be important for the immune, reproductive, vascular and nervous systems
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