Causes of blindness from diabetes examined as possible prevention treatments explored

Study suggests future treatment and prevention for diabetes-related eye problems.

A new study details the role of the protein Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) in diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment.

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, Humanitas University Milan, and the University of Liverpool used multiple in vitro and in vivo models across three laboratories for the study, with the results recently published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

The findings of the study showed that Pentraxin-3 (PTX3), a plasma protein, acts as a molecular driver of sterile inflammation in the diabetic retina, revealing that study models with diabetes deficient in the protein were protected from visual impairment induced by the condition.

The researchers also found that retinas from the study models with diabetes lacking PTX3 showed reduced inflammation and vascular degeneration, and that PTX3 impacted multiple cell types in the diabetic retinopathy setting, including Muller cells, astrocytes, microglia, retinal endothelial cells and neural cells.

Researchers believed the knowledge gained from their findings will help to facilitate the development of new treatments and prevention strategies.

Corresponding author Professor Reinhold J. Medina, Chair of Vision and Vascular Science at the University of Liverpool said: “Having identified PTX3 as a new molecular target in the diabetic eye, the development of a treatment to block its accumulation in the retina is needed.

“The striking finding that lack of PTX3 in diabetic retinas protected them from visual impairment is based on a 9-month diabetic study model. Whether this applies to humans will require further studies.

“More research into the specific molecular signalling triggered by PTX3 in diabetic retinas is also required, and we hope to design a new investigation to develop a drug targeting PTX3.

“Interestingly, this study was conceived with the original hypothesis that PTX3 presence in the diabetic retina was beneficial, however as results progressed, it turned out our hypothesis was wrong, and PTX3 promoted disease. The rigour, amount, and quality of research data provided confidence to accept this unexpected and new knowledge surrounding PTX3 biology.”

Read the report in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)