Scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have shown that alpha-crystallin, a protein in the eye lens, can play a significant role in halting the progression of problems such as cataract and other eye diseases.

Alpha-crystallin is a stress-protein. Whenever, there are symptoms of disease in human body, it grows in numbers to stop the onset of disease.

The Hyderabad-based lab is firming up a collaboration with the University of Tennesse, US, to develop a molecule that can prevent diabetic retinopathy.

In this condition, induced by diabetes, the blood vessels near the eye increase in size, become brittle and break in due course of time leading to temporary or permanent blindness.

A research group from Tennesse working on angiogenesis (the formation of a new blood vessel) recently visited the CCMB and discussed the collaboration. Dr Ch. Mohan Rao, Director of the lab and key researcher on alpha-crystallin protein, said by doing protein engineering (combining the studies on alpha-crystallin and angiogenesis) it could be possible to create a molecule that can prevent diabetic retinopathy and heart diseases.

Dr Rao and his colleagues have recently engineered a chimeric molecule, named as alpha-BNAC protein by combining two different proteins to make one protein. This is several-fold more active than the naturally occurring protein and likely to have therapeutic activity. The CCMB has decided to send a researcher to work on the project for six months.

Dr Rao will meet Dr David Peterson and Dr G Narayana Rao of the University to discuss the modalities of the project next week, when he is going to the US to participate in the Association of Researchers in Vision and Opthalmology, the biggest global meeting where 13,000 doctors and scientists in Florida will participate.

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