Revolutionary pill delivers results equivalent to exercise

The researchers believe the molecules could potentially be captured, recoded, and “captured” in a pill and taken like a vitamin. (CREDIT: Creative Commons)

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have identified unique molecular signals in the body that could hold the key to developing a supplement that could bring the health benefits of exercise to patients who are unable to exercise.

Molecular messages are sent to our brains and possibly our eyes right after a workout.

The ANU team is conducting research to better understand the impact these molecular messages have on retinal health as well as central nervous system and eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli, head of Clear Vision Research at ANU, says the molecules could potentially be captured, recoded and “captured” in a pill and taken like a vitamin.

“Useful messages sent to the central nervous system during exercise are packaged in what are called lipid particles. In essence, we are prescribing a molecular message about exercise to those who are physically unable,” he said.

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“We think that as we age, the ability to communicate between the muscles and the retina starts to get lost. Just as we take supplements, perhaps we can provide genetic or molecular supplements that allow this natural biological process to continue with age.

“Our goal is to find out what these molecules tell the body and how they communicate.”

A new ANU study reviewed the existing literature on the effects of exercise on the central nervous system and eyes. Specifically, the researchers set out to find out what effect exercise has on the retina — the light-sensitive part of the eye — and whether exercise can help maintain good vision as you age.

Dr Joshua Chu-Tan (left) and Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli from Clear Vision Research at the Australian National University (ANU). (CREDIT: Tracey Nearmy/ANU)

Dr. Joshua Chu-Tang, also of the ANU Clear Vision Research Lab, says further research is needed to understand how these molecular signals that are sent by the rest of the body when we exercise actually reach our brains and eyes.

He says a preliminary study on the benefits of exercise for the retina has shown some “promising” results.

“We know that exercise is good for our vision, but it is still unknown to what extent. Our goal is to understand the benefits of exercise at the molecular level and how it benefits the central nervous system and retina,” said Dr. Chu-Tang.

“We have found that the benefits of exercise go well beyond what has traditionally been known, however this is largely understudied in relation to the retina, despite the fact that the retina is an extension of the brain.

“One of the main goals of this review was to determine what happens inside the body after we exercise, what gives us the benefits of exercise, and why physical activity is so good for our brain and eyes.”

Futuristic therapy may one day help patients suffering from neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“It has been suggested that prescribing exercise to patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s may help improve the condition and slow the progression of the disease,” said Dr. Chu-Tang.

“We know that in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, if you exercise in a certain way, you can potentially stimulate neuronal activity.

“It wasn’t really viewed in the retina at the level we think it is. We want to understand the molecular signals that underlie the benefits of exercise.”

The researchers say the supplement will only be for patients with limited movements that prevent them from exercising at the intensity needed to get a positive result. It is not intended for the general public.

“We can’t pack all the effects of exercise into one pill, there are too many benefits that extend to the whole body beyond what we could ‘prescribe’ and that’s not the goal,” Dr. Chu-Tang said.

A systematic review by Dr. Chu-Tang, Tuckwell scientist Max Kirkby, and Associate Professor Natoli of the existing literature on the benefits of exercise for the central nervous system and eyes, including the retina, is published in Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

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Note: Materials provided above by the Australian National University. Content can be edited for style and length.

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