8 replies to this topic

[nickdino]

http://dx.doi.org/10...pnas.1400530111

[YOLF]

Great find! I wonder if this would improve my vision! If it's just a sugar, I imagine we already eat it in different things. Should something like this be pretty much safe?

[Kalliste]

Great news. I'm not big on chemistry but a sugar molecule should not be hard to synthesize? This could be a great supplement.

[niner]

Sorry guys, beta cyclodextrin is not a simple sugar- the fact that it's cyclic complicates things. It is available for purchase, and it's not insanely expensive. It's pretty unlikely that eating it would do much for you- it was injected into they eye. It's a promising technology though; maybe down the line we'll be doing infusions of it.

[adamh]

Perhaps using it as an eye drop would have some effect? That would avoid the digestive tract and liver metabolism. Or maybe a nasal spray? If it works in the eye, it might work in the brain. A nasal spray or eye drop might deliver to both regions. 

[gt35r]

Perhaps using it as an eye drop would have some effect? That would avoid the digestive tract and liver metabolism. Or maybe a nasal spray? If it works in the eye, it might work in the brain. A nasal spray or eye drop might deliver to both regions. 

 

Unlikely.

 

It needs to get into the RPE of the retina. Our retina is well protected from the outside. If you look at how wet macular degeneration is treated you will see that most of the medication is injected directly into the vitreous humor of the eye.  Rx eye drops are given mostly to manage the inflammation, risk infection, and increased ocular pressure due to the procedure. 

[StevesPetRat]

Yeah, I was bummed to see it's not a simple sugar, e.g., probably can't be absorbed without being digested. But adamh has the right idea. Nasal spray it is!

 

Edit: But wait... Cyclodextrins are used to enhance oral bioavailability of drugs:

http://www.sciencedi...168365907004129

 

They seem to have excellent toxicity profiles (safe dose of 12,500 ppm in rats and 50,000 ppm in dogs):

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/7759020

 

And, indeed, they can be absorbed nasally, if the particle size is small enough:

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/8860429

 

Good stuff

Edited by StevesPetRat, 06 August 2014 - 04:04 AM.

[nickdino]

Ok so does that mean we could get our hands on this stuff soon?

[StevesPetRat]

You can find hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin on [a popular shopping site named after a major rainforest]. I am not remotely qualified to comment on whether it would work the same or even be safe for human consumption. I mean, HPC is used in a ton of supplements, but...