Zeaxanthin, a natural carotenoid, can improve and increase the ability of
enzyme inhibitors that can slow down certain enzymes that are
contributing to toxic metabolite accumulation in people who suffer from
Stargardt's disease or other lipofuscin disorders. Such enzyme inhibitors
include retinoid analogs such as isotretinoin, commonly known by the
trademark, ACCUTANE. This drug binds to and inhibits at least two retinal
enzymes, known as RPE65 and short chain dehydrogenase, which create
surplus metabolites that feed into a pathway that eventually creates
toxic metabolites in people with Stargardt's disease. However,
isotretinoin treatment alone is not highly effective; therefore, use of
zeaxanthin as an adjunctive treatment can improve the efficacy and
outcomes of such treatments.