Diabetic Retinopathy

Blindness from diabetes is preventable.

Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in the United States. Even with good blood sugar control, children and adults need regular examination to prevent loss of sight.

In the clinic, we perform laser surgery to prevent hemorrhages inside the eye and give injections to reverse retinal swelling. In the operating room, we perform surgery to remove scar tissue from the surface of the retina.

In the laboratory, we are analyzing the proteins in eye tissues and fluids from patients to identify the molecules that cause scar tissue formation. We identified a major antioxidant enzyme that may protect eyes from the high oxidative stress found in the vitreous gel of diabetic patients. We are studying mouse models of diabetic vitreoretinopathy.

Please contact us for a consultation or learn how to support our research programs.