Diabetes Research Institute, Bascom Palmer Scientists Reveal How Diabetes Leads to Vision Loss
Summary
- A Diabetes Research Institute/Bascom Palmer Eye Institute collaboration resulted in a major step forward in understanding how diabetes damages vision.
- To track changes, the research team used a special imaging technique called fluorescence angiography with dual-fluorescence, which was developed by Dr. Midhat Abdulreda and Dr. Abigail Hackam.
- The researchers demonstrated that anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy already used to treat patients with diabetic eye disease can reduce leakage and restore visual function.
Researchers at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have taken a major step forward in understanding how diabetes damages vision.
The study, published in the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes, was led by Midhat Abdulreda, Ph.D., a DRI senior scientist, and Abigail Hackam, Ph.D., a professor of ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer.
Tracking Diabetic Retinopathy Over Time
In this study, researchers explored how diabetic eye disease (diabetic retinopathy) develops over time in mice. To track changes in the eyes, the team used a special imaging technique called fluorescence angiography with dual-fluorescence (FA-DF), which Drs. Abdulreda and Hackam developed themselves. The process involved injecting two glowing dyes into the bloodstream and taking pictures of the retina to see how much fluid leaked from blood vessels. The research team measured this leakage over time and compared it to the mice’s vision, which was tested using a device that tracks their head movements in response to moving patterns.
Later in the study, some mice received an injection of aflibercept, which blocks the protein vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) involved in abnormal blood vessel growth. The researchers also examined the eye tissue under a microscope to look at blood vessels and immune cells.
This approach allowed the team to monitor disease progression and treatment effects over time, giving a clearer picture of how diabetic eye disease develops and responds to therapy.
Importantly, the researchers demonstrated that anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy already used to treat patients with diabetic eye disease can reduce leakage and restore visual function.
How Does This Work Impact Diabetes Patients?
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults worldwide. The disease affects more than 100 million people globally, with cases expected to rise dramatically in the coming decades.
By identifying early warning signs and tracking treatment responses in real time, this research may help doctors intervene earlier and protect sight for people living with diabetes.
“This work showcases the power of collaboration across the University of Miami,” said Dr. Abdulreda. “Our findings open the door to new approaches that could prevent vision loss in millions of people worldwide.”
By demonstrating that retinal vascular leakage precedes visual acuity loss, the study highlights the potential of early, noninvasive detection using fluorescence angiography with dual fluorescence. This technique could enable clinicians to monitor disease progression and treatment response more precisely, even before symptoms manifest. The observed therapeutic effects of anti-VEGF treatment suggest that timely intervention may preserve vision in late-stage diabetic retinopathy.
The project was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Research to Prevent Blindness Foundation, the University of Miami’s Office of the Executive Dean for Research and the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.
Tags: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, diabetes, Diabetes Research Institute, diabetic retinopathy, Dr. Abigail Hackam, Dr. Midhat Abdulreda, type 1 diabetes, vision impairment, vision loss