Key points from article :
New research suggests gut bacteria might be a cause of sight loss in some inherited eye diseases.
Found gut bacteria in damaged eye areas of mice with a specific genetic mutation.
This mutation might weaken the body's defenses, allowing gut bacteria to reach the eye and cause blindness.
Researchers investigated the Crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1) gene which regulates materials entering and leaving the eye.
The CRB1 gene helps fight harmful bacteria in the gut, but mutations can weaken this barrier.
Weakened barriers allow gut bacteria to travel to the eye, causing lesions and sight loss.
Antibiotics could potentially treat this type of sight loss, but human trials are needed.
“Our findings may have implications for a broader spectrum of eye conditions, which we hope to continue to explore with further studies,” - Richard Lee, Co-lead author.
Study by Sun Yat-sen University, published in the journal Cell.
