Researchers report that mice administered the drug metformin, which activates adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an enzyme that monitors and regulates cellular energy metabolism, displayed photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium that was protected from inherited retinal degeneration, acute bright light injury, and oxidative damage to DNA, suggesting that AMPK may serve as a protective factor against common retinal degeneration disorders.
###
Article #18-02724: "Stimulation of AMPK prevents degeneration of photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium," by Lei Xu, Li Kong, Jiangang Wang, and John D. Ash.
MEDIA CONTACT: John D. Ash, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; e-mail: jash@ufl.edu