A revolutionary treatment being developed by researchers at the University of Oklahoma and Memorial Sloan Kettering shows promise in addressing the root cause of diabetic retinopathy, offering hope to millions at risk of blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy, a daunting complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness, might soon have a new, groundbreaking treatment thanks to pioneering research from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences and Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center.
Diabetic retinopathy affects approximately one-third of adults over 40 with diabetes, marking it as a significant global health concern.
“With the rise in diabetes, there’s a rise in complications,” Julia Busik, professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Physiology at OU said in a statement. “If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness. Losing vision is one of the most feared complications for patients with diabetes.”
Busik, in collaboration with Richard Kolesnick from MSK Cancer Center, has focused on an innovative approach using anti-ceramide immunotherapy. Published in the journal Cell Metabolism, their research reveals that this treatment targets ceramide, a harmful lipid that accumulates in the eyes of diabetic patients and triggers inflammatory signals leading to cell death and disease progression.
The current standard treatments for diabetic retinopathy — laser surgery and intraocular injections — are intrusive and often implemented only at advanced disease stages. These treatments aim to halt disease progression rather than address its underlying causes. Busik’s research stands to change this approach fundamentally.
The team’s groundbreaking success in animal and cell culture models has given rise to optimism that this new systemic treatment could be administered much earlier in the disease process, potentially preventing patients from ever reaching the stage where their vision is at significant risk.
“If we have this systemic safe treatment, it could be given to a patient at a much earlier stage when they are just starting to progress, to make sure that they never get to that late stage,” added Busik.
The research represents a critical step forward in the fight against diabetic retinopathy and has been extensively supported by NIH grants and the NIH/NCI Cancer Center Support Core Grant.
As diabetes rates continue to climb globally, advancements such as this offer renewed hope for countless individuals battling this relentless disease.