Personalized Proteomics for Eye Fibrosis

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy is the most common post-operative complication indicating failure of intravitreal surgical repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).  It is characterized by the growth and contraction of cellular membranes in the vitreous and on the retina, which inevitably results in morbidity, vision loss, and blindness if not treated. At a molecular level, PVR is the result of an inherent tissue response to the disruption of the neurosensory retina and its surrounding cytoarchitecture resulting in a loss of function. Surgical repair is complex and patients lose significant vision. The underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. Our lab used proteomic analyses to identify cytokines that may be involved in this process.