Health Care - Diabetes Symptoms - New Approach Tried for Diabetic Blindness

class=3Darticle-title>New Approach Tried for Diabetic Blindness =

class=3Dsmall-black-headline>Antibody=20
Injections Block Abnormal Blood Vessel Formation

size=3D2> class=3Darticle-byline>By class=3Darticle-byline> class=3Dgotoarticle>Miranda Hitti
class=3Darticle-byline>WebMD Medical News =

size=3D2> class=3Darticle-byline>Reviewed By Brunilda=20
Nazario, MD
on Monday, January 10, 2005=20

Jan. 10, 2005 -- It may be possible to =
prevent=20
blindness caused by diabetes, say University of Florida =
researchers.

Their strategy - which involves =
injections of an=20
antibody into the eye -- has worked on lab mice. If it also helps =
humans, it=20
could help millions of people with diabetes avoid a complication called =
diabetic=20
retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy can devastate the =
eye, and it's=20
a common problem. The disease is the leading cause of vision loss in =
people aged=20
20-74. It's responsible for 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness per =
year in=20
the U.S.

Nearly 8 million diabetic Americans have =
some form of=20
diabetic retinopathy. That's about half of all U.S. diabetes patients, =
say=20
Edward Scott and colleagues from the university's stem cell biology and=20
regenerative medicine program.

Diabetic retinopathy unfolds in two =
stages. First,=20
high blood sugar and high blood pressure weaken tiny blood vessels in =
the eye.=20
As a result, those vessels can bulge and burst, leaking into the eye's =
retina,=20
the back lining of the eye where electrical impulses are converted to =
images=20
that are sent to the brain.

Matters can worsen after that. The =
second, more=20
serious stage is called proliferative retinopathy. It occurs when new =
blood=20
vessels form on the retina. Those delicate, abnormal new vessels can =
break=20
easily. The bleeding vessels can also cause scar tissue to form, =
burdening or=20
even detaching the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy has no cure. Laser =
treatment can=20
prevent further damage if performed before the retina is ravaged. The=20
researchers also say there are negative side effects from using steroids =
to=20
decrease swelling seen in some cases of retinopathy that don't respond =
to laser=20
treatment.

Seeking a New Solution

The researchers took samples from the =
eyes of 46=20
people with diabetes, 24 of whom had retinopathy. That revealed an =
important=20
clue. All the samples contained a protein, SDF-1. The worst cases of =
retinopathy=20
had the highest concentrations of SDF-1.

SDF-1 is no stranger to scientists. It =
works all over=20
the body, serving as a traffic cop for new blood cells. "SDF-1 is the =
main thing=20
that tells blood stem cells where to go," says Scott in a news=20
release.

That can be a problem in the eye, where =
SDF-1 doesn't=20
break down. "It continues to call the new blood vessels to come that =
way,=20
causing all the problems," explains Scott.

The researchers counteracted SDF-1 in =
mice. First,=20
they used lasers to give the mice a condition like diabetic retinopathy. =
Next,=20
they injected an SDF-1 antibody into the mice's eyes. The antibody =
disables the=20
action of SDF-1 in the eye.

No Blind Mice

None of the injected mice went blind. =
They didn't=20
produce the abnormal new blood vessels.

"This suggests that easily achievable =
SDF-1 antibody=20
concentrations may provide effective preventative treatment for diseases =
such as=20
proliferative retinopathy," write the researchers in The Journal of =
Clinical=20
Investigation's January edition.

The next step is testing the method on =
monkeys. If=20
that goes well, human tests will follow.

The scientists are still seeking a way to =
anchor the=20
antibody without letting it get into the retina, says a news release. If =
they=20
figure that out, patients could get routine eye injections. Meanwhile, =
Scott has=20
co-founded a company that plans to market stem-cell based=20
therapies.

SOURCES: Butler, J. The =
Journal of=20
Clinical Investigation, January 2005; vol 115: pp 86-93. WebMD Medical =
Reference=20
from Healthwise: "Diabetic Retinopathy: Topic Overview." WebMD Medical =
Reference=20
from Healthwise: "Diabetic Retinopathy: Treatment Overview." News =
release,=20
University of Florida.

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