Royce Mohan, associate professor of neuroscience at the UConn Health Center, and his research team are in search of a treatment for corneal blindness. Mohan, the John A. and Florence Mattern Solomon Chair in Vision Biology and Eye Diseases, says by applying chemical genetics techniques and distilled knowledge of ancient medicinal practices they have discovered new druggable proteins that reverse corneal blindness and have wide therapeutic potential.
After cataracts, corneal blindness is the second-leading cause of blindness in the world and is highly prevalent in developing countries. The condition is brought about indirectly by infections and diseases that affect the cornea and is currently irreversible.
In an International Innovation article, Mohan describes how they have unraveled the intricate workings of a potent plant extract used in ancient medicine for its restorative properties known as Withaferin A.
You can view the entire article at http://today.uchc.edu/pdfs/p140-142_royce_mohan.pdf.
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