Medicament for improving or preventing symptoms relating to retina and/or light reception and method for screening for substance capable of improving or preventing symptoms relating to retina and/or light reception
The present invention provides a medicament for improving or preventing a symptom relating to a retina and/or light reception, the medicament comprising, as an active ingredient, a substance capable of maintaining or enhancing the phosphorylation state of Unc119; a method for screening for a substance capable of improving or preventing a symptom relating to a retina and/or light reception, the method comprising the step of selecting a substance capable of inhibiting calcineurin, or selecting a substance capable of activating casein kinase 2; and an agent for inhibiting retinal degeneration and an agent for protecting a retina, the agents each comprising, as an active ingredient, a substance capable of maintaining or enhancing the phosphorylation state of Unc119.
1 . A method for treating a symptom by maintaining or enhancing the phosphorylation state of Unc119 in a retina, the method comprising administering to a mammal in need thereof an effective amount of a calcineurin inhibitor, wherein the symptom is at least one retinal disease selected from the group consisting of dry age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and Stargardt disease, and wherein the calcineurin inhibitor treats the symptom by maintaining or enhancing the phosphorylation state of Unc119.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calcineurin inhibitor is ciclosporin or tacrolimus.
3 . A method of inhibiting retinal degeneration by maintaining or enhancing the phosphorylation state of Unc119, the method comprising administering to a mammal in need thereof an effective amount of a calcineurin inhibitor, wherein inhibiting the retinal degeneration is slowing down retinal degeneration, wherein the retinal degeneration is caused by at least one disease associated with a dephosphorylation state of Unc119 selected from the group consisting of dry age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and Stargardt disease, and wherein the calcineurin inhibitor inhibits the retinal degeneration by maintaining or enhancing the phosphorylation state of Unc119.