Our eyes are complex, sensitive, and essential for our daily lives.
For those with diabetes, eye complications can be particularly concerning, especially when wounds in the eyes take longer to heal.
Scientists have been working to figure out why diabetes affects eye healing and if there’s a way to reverse this. A new study from Cedars-Sinai provides some insightful answers.
Diabetes and the Eye: A Deeper Look
Diabetes doesn’t just affect blood sugar levels; it can have far-reaching impacts on other parts of the body, including the eyes.
A team led by Dr. Alexander Ljubimov, director of the Eye Program at Cedars-Sinai’s Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, recently discovered two key changes diabetes causes in the cornea (the protective, clear surface of the eye).
These aren’t genetic changes hard-wired from birth. Instead, they are “epigenetic alterations”, changes that affect how genes are expressed without altering the DNA sequence itself.
Decoding the Problem: A Protein Called Wnt-5a
An interesting find from this study was the role of Wnt-5a, a signaling protein. The researchers realized that in the corneas of diabetic patients, the production of this protein was suppressed.
This protein is crucial for corneal wound healing and stem cell function. Stem cells are versatile; they can transform into various cell types as needed.
Dr. Ruchi Shah, a scientist involved in the study, pointed out that most treatments for diabetes address its symptoms but overlook these cellular and molecular changes.
By understanding this newly discovered wound-healing mechanism, new treatments might be developed to help diabetic patients maintain better eye health in the long run.
While many discussions about diabetic eye problems center on the retina (the back of the eye), the cornea faces its own challenges.
In those with severe diabetes, the cornea’s healing ability diminishes, causing issues especially after eye surgeries or injuries.
Towards Better Treatment: Three Promising Paths
The Cedars-Sinai team went further than just identifying the problem; they also tested solutions. By simulating wounds on corneal cells, they tried three different methods to increase Wnt-5a protein expression:
- Directly adding the Wnt-5a protein.
- Using a DNA methylation inhibitor, a type of treatment previously approved for cancer.
- Utilizing a unique gene therapy approach to target the levels of microRNA that hinders WNT5A.
The results were promising. All three methods stimulated the production of stem cell markers in diabetic samples, promoting tissue regeneration and faster wound healing.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Treatment
Dr. Clive Svendsen, another contributor to the study, expressed optimism that these new therapies could not only benefit the cornea but also other areas affected by diabetes.
The team’s ongoing research is focused on further understanding the mechanisms of WNT5A and other wound-healing genes.
They’re also exploring a combined treatment to more comprehensively boost Wnt-5a protein and normalize wound healing.
Dr. Ljubimov shared their ultimate aim: to craft sustained-release eye medications for corneal wound healing.
Such drugs, if approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA, could offer a promising solution for many facing the challenges of diabetes-related eye complications.
If you care about eye health, please read how to keep your eyes healthy, and treatments for dry eye you need to know.
For more information about diabetes, please read the normal blood sugar for people with diabetes, results showing that Zinc may be the key to better diabetes treatments.
The study was published in Diabetologia.
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