Struggling to read the menu in a dim restaurant isn’t just a sign of getting older—it might also be something science can fix. Researchers at UC Irvine believe they’ve found a way to slow down, or even reverse, the eye’s natural ageing process.
Scientists have been investigating a potential treatment aimed at slowing or even undoing “ageing” in the eye while also preventing age-related diseases such as macular degeneration (AMD).
“We show the potential for reversing age-related vision loss,”
explains Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.
The study, conducted in partnership with scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Health and Medical University in Potsdam, Germany, presents findings published in Science Translational Medicine under the title “Retinal polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation reverses ageing-related vision decline in mice.”
Scientists have long studied a gene called ELOVL2, which helps produce important fatty acids that keep our eyes healthy. When this gene doesn’t work properly, vision tends to decline with age.
Earlier studies showed that increasing ELOVL2 activity in older mice boosted levels of DHA—a type of omega-3 fat—in their eyes and improved their vision. In new research, scientists tested whether similar results could be achieved without relying on the gene itself.
They found that injecting older mice with another specific fatty acid (not DHA) improved their vision and even reversed some signs of ageing in eye cells. This suggests a new potential therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Researchers also discovered genetic variations in ELOVL2 that may make some people more prone to AMD, opening the door to early detection and targeted prevention.
Beyond eye health, the same gene appears to influence how the immune system ages. Mice lacking ELOVL2 showed faster ageing in immune cells, hinting that fatty acid supplements might one day help strengthen immunity as we grow older.
