A drug which is already licensed for use could be used to treat sight problems in some albino people, say US researchers.
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People with a type of albinism - OCA1 - have light skin, white hair and light irises caused by defective tyrosinase genes which mean they struggle to produce melanin.
Mice tests
Scientists at the National Eye Institute, Maryland, were investigating a drug - nitisinone - which is used to treat a blood condition, but is also known to increase hair and eye pigmentation
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The researchers also do not know what would happen in human patients.
"A significant unanswered question is whether improving pigmentation in patients with albinism would improve visual function," the report said.
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more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15061797http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NitisinoneWhen I started reading this, I thought it would be Latisse
® -- see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimatoprost#Cosmetic_use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimatoprost#Side_effects -- which is also known to cause darkening of the iris.
It may cause unexpected growth of hair if applied inappropriately, on the cheek, for example.
And no one's tried treating baldness with it yet ???