SEEING THE LIGHT
New hope for those with diabetic retinopathy
BY:MYRA DEMBROW
New research by a team at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston offers hope for those who suffer from diabetic retinopathy, which can cause vision loss or blindness.
Their analysis of vitreous (gel fluid in the eye) samples from 25 people concluded that the protein carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA-1) causes leakage of retinal blood vessels, which contributes to the retinal swelling often associated with advanced diabetic retinopathy.
"We have identified a new group of molecules that may improve our understanding of the disease processes that contribute to diabetic retinopathy," wrote lead investigator Edward Feener, PhD, in Nature Medicine.