RESEARCHERS in Scotland are investigating a new treatment for diabetes which is hoped could reduce sight loss – one of the condition’s most common complications.
Funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the team of scientists are aiming to find new ways of preventing diabetic retinopathy (DR) and have been given a grant of £286,000 for the study.
The team is being led by Professor Mirela Delibegovic, in collaboration with clinical colleagues Professor John Forrester and Dr Lucia Kuffova at the University of Aberdeen.
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Those with DR develop damage, often permanent, to the retina and as a result are at risk of losing their sight.
People in the UK known to have diabetes are offered retinal screening once a year to detect signs of changes in the retina caused by DR. This new project aims to identify physical signs of DR when they occur, but before they lead to loss of vision and to help find treatments to prevent it from developing.
Delibegovic, who is the director of the Aberdeen Cardiovascular Disease Centre at the University of Aberdeen, said: “Given its nature, DR is a significant and worrying complication of diabetes and so it is important that we understand more about it and find ways to reduce and prevent it.
“In addition, as Type 2 diabetes – the most common type of diabetes – can often go undetected and undiagnosed for many years, up to 40% of people with Type 2 diabetes already have signs of DR when they are first diagnosed with the condition.
“Being able to intervene sooner could make a real difference for people living with diabetes.”
Over the next three years, the team will investigate if inhibition of an enzyme, called PTP1B, will lead to protection against retinal microvascular disease and diabetic retinopathy.
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