Researchers at University of California, Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara have discovered that disulfiram, a drug that combats alcoholism, may also be the key to restoring vision in people with advanced RP and age-related macular degeneration.

The key is that disulfiram, which inhibits enzymes involved in the body’s ability to degrade alcohol, also impedes the enzymes that make retinoic acid. What makes this so critical is that researchers have found that retinoic acid interferes with light perception in those with RP. By inhibiting the enzyme that creates reitinoic acid, they were able to eliminate the interference in nearly blind mice, enabling them to see images on a computer screen.

I’ve reached out to the researchers involved in this trial for an interview but have not yet heard back from them. However, here is the gist:

• Disulfiram has already been approved by the FDA for treatment of alcoholism — which greatly reduces the barriers for making disulfiram available as a treatment for people suffering from RP.
• The drug has very little known side-affects, unless you drink alcohol — in which case, it will make you relive your worst hangover (think severe vomiting, headache, etc.).
• The next step, according to news reports, is a clinical trial in which researchers will team with a handful of ophthalmologists to administer the drug to patients with advanced RP (but not complete retinal degeneration).

Here’s a link to a detailed article that appeared in Berkeley News and here’s a link to the Science Advances Journal article.

Bottom line — great news.

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