Protective effect of RIPK1-inhibitory compound in in vivo models for retinal degenerative disease

Receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) plays a key role in necroptosis, which is a type of programmed necrosis that is involved in ocular diseases, including glaucoma and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We previously introduced RIPK1-inhibitory compound (RIC), which has biochemical characteristics and a mode of action that are distinct from those of the prototype RIPK1 inhibitor necrostatin-1. The intraperitoneal administration of RIC exerts a protective effect on retinal ganglion cells against a glaucomatous insult. In this study, we examined the protective effect of RIC on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) against sodium iodate (SI) insult, which is associated with dry AMD pathogenesis. The eye drop administration of RIC that reached on the retina prevented RPE loss in SI-induced retinal degeneration. RIC consistently demonstrated retinal protection in the funduscopy and electroretinogram analyses in SI-injected rabbits and iodoacetic acid-treated mini-pigs. Moreover, the in vivo protective effects of RIC were superior to those of ACU-4429 and doxycycline, which are other medications investigated in clinical trials for the treatment of dry AMD, and RIC did not induce retinal toxicity following topical administration in rats. Collectively, RIC displayed excellent retinal penetration and prevented retinal degeneration in the pathogenesis of dry AMD with a high in vivo efficacy.