Researchers from the United States and Ireland have formed an R&D partnership to develop a gene therapy approach for treating diabetic retinopathy.
The gene therapy approach is reportedly based on the use of adeno-associated viruses (AAV) that insert genetic material at a specific site, allowing for a long-term delivery of a protein called COMP-Ang1 to the retina. Researchers had previously discovered that COMP-Ang1 can help protect the retina from damage during diabetes. The team will look at how the protein prevents inflammation and leakage from blood vessels, and how it improves retina function, with the ultimate hope that COMP-Ang1 will facilitate the reversal and repair of diabetic damage to the retina.
Click here to read the full press release.
Source: Queen's University Belfast