The Role of Glutamine in Supporting Eye Health and Preventing Vision Loss

Recent research highlights the crucial role of the amino acid glutamine in maintaining eye health, particularly in supporting the survival of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Photoreceptors are vital for converting light into visual signals, but due to their high energy demands, they are vulnerable to degeneration that can lead to vision loss in various retinal diseases.

In a groundbreaking study published in eLife, scientists from the University of Michigan investigated how photoreceptors depend on glutamine, an abundant amino acid in the blood, for their energy needs. Previous studies mainly focused on glucose as a fuel source, but this research reveals that glutamine plays an essential role in supporting cellular functions necessary for photoreceptor integrity.

The team used genetically modified mice lacking the enzyme glutaminase, which converts glutamine into glutamate. These mice exhibited rapid retinal thinning, with notable loss of photoreceptors and impaired vision. Analysis showed reduced levels of crucial amino acids like glutamate and aspartate, which are necessary for building proteins and supporting cellular processes.

Furthermore, the diminished amino acid levels triggered stress responses within the cells, activating pathways that lead to cell death if prolonged. Interestingly, inhibiting this stress response temporarily increased retinal thickness, suggesting potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Thomas Wubben, M.D., Ph.D., explained that understanding which pathways depend on glutamine could pave the way for developing drugs or supplements that bolster photoreceptor survival. Since glutamine supports multiple pathways, including amino acid biosynthesis and cellular repair, its preservation might be key to preventing vision degeneration.

The research underscores that metabolic flexibility in photoreceptors—particularly their reliance on amino acids like glutamine—could be exploited to develop new treatments for retinal diseases. Resetting metabolic pathways to optimize glutamine utilization holds promise as a strategy to prevent or slow down vision loss and blindness. Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-amino-acid-glutamine-important-eye.html