One protein is strongly associated with age-related vision loss

On September 6, 2022, research led by Dr.

Marassi said: "Because the way blood flows throughout the body, proteins in the blood are under constantly changing pressure

There are hundreds of proteins in our blood, but the researchers' main focus is on vitamin C, which is one

Vitronectin plays a key role in many age-related diseases, but for Marassi's team, the most promising target is macular degeneration, a disease that affects up to 11 million people

"This protein is an important target for macular degeneration because it accumulates in the back of the eye, leading to decreased

To solve this problem, researchers are interested in understanding how proteins change their structure at different temperatures and under different pressures to get closer to what

"Determining the structure of a protein is the most important part of determining its function," Marassi added

Marassi said: "It's a very subtle molecular structure rearrangement, but it has a big impact on the function of proteins

These structural insights will simplify the development of macular degeneration treatments, as it will allow researchers and their partners in the biotechnology industry to custom-engineer antibodies that selectively block the protein's calcium binding without disrupting its other important functions

"It will take some time to translate this into clinical treatment, but we hope to have an effective antibody as a potential treatment within a few years

essay

Calcium-induced environmental adaptability of the blood protein vitronectin