Brief Lay Background
Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema are complications of diabetes, affecting a large proportion of patients. They both affect the retina (the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) and can lead to sight loss.
Vision loss in diabetic retinal disease occurs because of bad blood vessel function, which in turn triggers an increase in number of blood vessels in an attempt to recover normal blood supply. However, these new vessels are weak and can rupture, causing further damage.
What problem/knowledge gap does it help address?
Only about 50% of patients respond to available treatments, and existing treatments cannot fully reduce disease progression. The team therefore aims to develop new treatments to prevent vision loss in diabetes, to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes.
Some of the diabetic damages to kidneys and heart are also due to defects in blood vessels. The team’s research may therefore also help to understand the damage to these organs.
Aim of the research project
The team are investigating whether they can ‘block’ a particular biological process that leads to tissue damage in an animal model of diabetic retinal disease.
Potential impact on people with sight loss
Effective new treatments are needed to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes. The team therefore aims to develop a new treatment to prevent vision loss in diabetes that can be applied as eye drops. Such new treatments will improve the quality of life of people with diabetes.
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