Rare earth nanoparticles prevent retinal degeneration induced by intracellular peroxides.
Photoreceptor cells are incessantly bombarded with photons of light, which, along with the cells' high rate of oxygen metabolism, continuously exposes them to elevated levels of toxic reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs). Vacancy-engineered mixed-valence-state cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria particles) scavenge ROIs. Our data show that nanoceria particles prevent increases in the intracellular concentrations of ROIs in primary cell cultures of rat retina and, in vivo, prevent loss of vision due to light-induced degeneration of photoreceptor cells. These data indicate that the nanoceria particles may be effective in inhibiting the progression of ROI-induced cell death, which is thought to be involved in macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and other blinding diseases, as well as the ROI-induced death of other cell types in diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and so on. The use of nanoceria particles as a direct therapy for multiple diseases represents a novel strategy and suggests that they may represent a unique platform technology.
Chen
Junping
J
Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA.
Patil
Swanand
S
Seal
Sudipta
S
McGinnis
James F
JF
D000818:Animals; D001766:Blindness / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002563:Cerium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000517:prevention & control*
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D002563:Cerium; C030583:ceric oxide