Tsubota Laboratory, Inc. and Jins Holdings, Inc., a venture from Keio University School of Medicine, represented by Professor Kazuo Tsubota of Keio University, are jointly working on the light "Violet Light", which is thought to be effective in suppressing the progression of myopia. Start the project.
According to a survey report, 2050% (49.8 million people) of the world's population will have myopia and 47% (5,800 million people) will have severe myopia at risk of blindness in 9.8 (Holden BA, et. al. Opththalmology).There is also an epidemiological study that about 9 in 3,800 people develop visual impairment including blindness when myopia progresses and becomes severe myopia (Tideman JW, et al. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt).In other words, in modern society, myopia is a disease that cannot be overlooked, which can lead to blindness.In Japan as well, according to the results of the 3 School Health Statistics of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the percentage of elementary and junior high school students with naked eye visual acuity of less than 1 has reached a record high, and the tendency of visual acuity to decline has become remarkable in recent years.
"Violet light" has been attracting attention in recent years as the key to solving these problems.Violet light is the cause of myopia, based on verification from both basic research using chicks by Keio University and clinical research on humans, with purple light having a shorter wavelength than the blue light contained in sunlight. It was reported that it works on the gene "EGR1" that suppresses the extension of length and has the effect of suppressing the progression of myopia.
Therefore, Tsubota Lab and JINS Holdings Inc. have started the development of the world's first eyeglass-type medical device that uses violet light to suppress the progression of myopia. The clinical trial will start after 2020, aiming to obtain manufacturing and marketing approval.A glasses-type medical device that suppresses the progression of myopia is planned to be developed for elementary school students aged 6 to 12 years who are prone to myopia.It can be said that this is a new challenge to expand the fundamental role of "vision correction" that glasses have to "a solution that suppresses the progression of myopia itself".
