BelSU pharmacologists are developing a drug product for glaucoma prevention and treatment in cooperation with Malaysian scientists

According to Anna Peresypkina, Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, one of the key factors in glaucoma development is excitotoxicity in retina – a pathological process leading to damage and death of ganglionic cells caused by hyperactivation of glutamate receptors.

Russian and Malaysian scientists set the task of assessing the neuroprotective effectiveness of the substance that is able to prevent damage to retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma. The studies were carried out on the basis of BelSU Research Institute for Pharmacology of Living Systems, Medical Faculty of the MARA University of Technology (Shah Alam, Malaysia) and Medical School of Medical International University (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) with the financial support from the Ministry of Higher Education of the Government of Malaysia and the Malaysian University of Technology MARA.

Professor of Malaysian International Medical University Igor Iezhitsa proves the effectiveness of the drug by the fact that there have been positive changes in the structure of ganglionic layer of a rat retina. Magnesium acetyltaurinate prevents ganglion cell death caused by hyperactivation of glutamate receptors.