Title
Unsuspected intrinsic property of melanin to dissociate water can be used for the treatment of CNS diseases
Date Issued
01 March 2016
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Herrera A.S.
Esparza M.d.C.A.
Arias P.E.S.
Ávila-Rodriguez M.
Li Y.
Bachurin S.O.
Aliev G.
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Publisher(s)
Bentham Science Publishers
Abstract
Retinal adhesion mechanisms in mammals are quite complex and multifactorial in nature. To date, these mechanisms are incompletely understood due to a variety of chemical, physical, and physiological forces impinging upon retinal tissue: retinal pigment epithelium, nearby tissues as sclera and vitreous, the subretinal space, and the highly complex interphotoreceptor matrix that fills subretinal space. The adhesion of the retina to the choroid, rather than anatomical, is a dynamic process, as the retina detaches a few minutes after life ceases. The adhesion mechanisms described in the literature, such as intraocular pressure and the oncotic pressure of the choroid that seems to push the retina towards the choroid, the delicate anatomical relationships between the rod and cone photoreceptors, the retinal pigment epithelium, the existence of a complex material called interphotoreceptor matrix, as well as other metabolic and structural factors, still cannot explain the remarkable features observed in the adhesion mechanisms between the photoreceptor layer and retinal pigment epithelium cells. The unexpected intrinsic property of melanin to absorb light energy and transform it into chemically based free energy can explain normal adhesion of the sensory retina to the pigment epithelium. In this article, we explore and highlight this explanation, which states that it is definitely able to provide a new treatment avenue against devastating neurodegenerative properties.
Start page
135
End page
140
Volume
15
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias médicas, Ciencias de la salud Neurología clínica
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84959930600
PubMed ID
Source
CNS and Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets
ISSN of the container
18715273
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus