Researchers look into Vitamin B3 as possible glaucoma treatment

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and St. Erik Eye Hospital recently published their study findings in Redox Bilogy that point to vitamin B3 possibly being a future neuroprotective therapy in glaucoma. 

Worldwide, glaucoma affects 80 million people. Glaucoma is caused by the optic nerve being damaged due to elevated pressure inside the eye. Current therapies are eye drops or surgery. Even with treatment, the risk of blindness in at least one eye is still high.

In the study, researchers examined the effects of nicotinamide (the amide of vitamin B3) on the ocular system under glaucoma and normal conditions. The researchers were able to demonstrate the ability of nicotinamide to reverse the disease metabolic profile of glaucoma in animal subjects.

Researchers were able confirm that nicotinamide provides several neuro-protective effects including buffering and preventing metabolic stress as well as augmenting mitochondrial mobility and size to provide an environment where retinal ganglion cells are less prone to the stresses associated with glaucoma.

The next step is a clinical trial which will begin fall 2021. The clinical trial will involve patients with newly diagnosed and untreated glaucoma.