Research advancements made in diabetes-induced blindness

Corneal blindness affects more than 5 million individuals, many of whom suffer from diabetes

2014-01-15

(Press-News.org) Contact information: Cara Martinez
cara.martinez@cshs.org
310-423-7798
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Research advancements made in diabetes-induced blindness Corneal blindness affects more than 5 million individuals, many of whom suffer from diabetes LOS ANGELES (January 15, 2014) – Investigators at the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have identified new molecular abnormalities in the diabetic cornea that could contribute to eye problems in affected patients. With this new knowledge, investigators aim to accelerate the process of healing and repair in damaged corneas to ultimately reverse the effects of diabetes-induced eye complications.

"We observed small but significant changes in the gene expressions between normal and diabetic corneas," said Mehrnoosh Saghizadeh Ghiam, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical sciences and neurosurgery, a researcher in the Regenerative Medicine Institute Eye Program and the lead author of the study published in the journal PLOS ONE. "These slight alterations may contribute to disease progression and cause cascading effects on the cellular functions that prevent wound healing and eventually contribute to vision impairment."

Diabetes is a systemic disease affecting all parts of the body, including the eye and may lead to vision loss. Roughly 50 to 70 percent of diabetic patients suffer from corneal complications that include alterations in vital corneal stem cells, causing lasting defects and eventually, vision impairment.

Investigators identified gene expression regulators, microRNAs, in normal and diabetic human corneas. They then successfully confirmed that several of these regulators were expressed differently in the diabetic corneas. These differently expressed microRNAs may contribute to stem cell and epithelial (tissue cells) abnormalities in diabetic corneas. Researchers are working on the manipulation of these microRNAs by gene therapy to normalize these corneas.

"No previous studies have addressed the role of microRNAs in the corneas of patients with diabetes," said Alexander Ljubimov, PhD, director of the Eye Program at the Regenerative Medicine Institute and co-author of the paper. "This first-of-a-kind study will allow researchers to better understand the roles of microRNAs in corneal diseases."

### The study was conducted by a team of Cedars-Sinai researchers including Saghizadeh Ghiam, Ljubimov, Vincent Funari, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Genomics Core in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and research associates Michael Winkler and Jordan Brown.

The research was supported by the following National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants: NIH R21 EY022771 and R01 EY13431, as well as the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute.

Citation: PLOS ONE. 2013 Dec 20.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Acidification, predators pose double threat to oysters

2014-01-15

Acidification, predators pose double threat to oysters The once-booming, now struggling Olympia oyster native to the West Coast could face a double threat from ocean acidification and invasive predators, according to new research from the University of California, ...

Fast food not the major cause of rising childhood obesity rates

2014-01-15

Fast food not the major cause of rising childhood obesity rates For several years, many have been quick to attribute rising fast-food consumption as the major factor causing rapid increases in childhood obesity. Now researchers at the University ...

NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Colin's final bow

2014-01-15

NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Colin's final bow Tropical Cyclone Colin is becoming an extra-tropical system in the Southern Pacific Ocean and NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the transitioning storm. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final warning ...

NASA sees system 94S still trying to organize near Darwin

2014-01-15

NASA sees system 94S still trying to organize near Darwin Tropical low pressure area System 94S continues to soak Australia's Northern Territory near Darwin. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image that showed the areas being affected by the developing low. System ...

Cervical screening up to age 69 may prevent cervical cancer in older women

2014-01-15

Cervical screening up to age 69 may prevent cervical cancer in older women A study published this week in PLOS Medicine suggests that screening women for cervical cancer beyond age 50 clearly saves lives, and also that there are benefits for women with normal (negative) ...

Muscle-strengthening and conditioning in women associated with reduced risk of diabetes

2014-01-15

Muscle-strengthening and conditioning in women associated with reduced risk of diabetes Aerobic exercise is known to prevent type 2 diabetes, and muscle-strengthening alone or in combination with aerobic exercise improves diabetic control among those with diabetes. ...

How a scorpion gets its sting

2014-01-15

How a scorpion gets its sting Recent highlights in Molecular Biology and Evolution Defensins, as their name implies, are small proteins found in plants and animals that help ward off viral, bacterial or fungal pests. One fascinating ...

Alcohol consumption is a necessary cause of nearly 80,000 deaths per year in the Americas

2014-01-15

Alcohol consumption is a necessary cause of nearly 80,000 deaths per year in the Americas New study reveals a continuing public health disaster A new study published in the scientific journal Addiction by the Pan American Health Organization, a branch of the World Health ...

Follow-up tests improve colorectal cancer recurrence detection

2014-01-15

Follow-up tests improve colorectal cancer recurrence detection Among patients who had undergone curative surgery for primary colorectal cancer, the screening methods of computed tomography and carcinoembryonic antigen each provided an improved rate of surgical treatment ...

Patients with mild hyperglycemia and genetic mutation have low prevalence of vascular complications

2014-01-15

Patients with mild hyperglycemia and genetic mutation have low prevalence of vascular complications Despite having mild hyperglycemia for approximately 50 years, patients with a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme glucokinase had a low prevalence of clinically ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Neanderthals at two nearby caves butchered the same prey in different ways, suggesting local food traditions

Specialty of the house: Neanderthals at two nearby caves butchered the same prey in different ways, suggesting local food traditions

‘Ultimate dinner party guests’: Dispersed communities attending feast in ancient Iran gifted boars sourced from distant lands

Temozolomide and radiation treatment lead to dramatic tumor shrinkage and improvement of hearing in an adult brainstem glioma patient with a rare IDH2 mutation

Look to the data, not the marketing: Turfgrass research shows no differences in ‘penetrant’ and ‘retainer’ wetting agents

Older adults who increased their regular walking pace by just 14 steps per minute were more likely to experience clinically significant improvements in a test of aerobic capacity and walking endurance

[Press-News.org] Research advancements made in diabetes-induced blindness
Corneal blindness affects more than 5 million individuals, many of whom suffer from diabetes