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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Could cleaning chemicals help treat eye disease? I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Eyedrops for diseases like glaucoma might be improved – by chemicals found in oven cleaner and glass polish. This according to Sudipta Seal of the University of Central Florida and Sanku Mallik of North Dakota State University. They engineered these cerium oxide chemicals into extremely tiny particles called nanoceria. Mallik says nanoceria have sticky surfaces, and can penetrate the eyeball easily and surprisingly harmlessly.
SANKU MALLIK (North Dakota State University):
So I said well, it has all the things that are needed, so let’s start putting things on the surface and see what happens.
HIRSHON:
Early lab work suggests that piggybacking glaucoma medicine onto the nanoceria could make glaucoma medicines much more efficient – and possibly cheaper to make. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.