Diabetic Retinopathy: A New Drug Can Mend the Damaged Blood Vessels

New Drug -CD5-2 can help Mend the Damaged Blood Vessels and prevent vascular leakage that usually occurs in Diabetic Retinopathy.

New Drug -CD5-2 Can help Preserve the tight network of the blood vessels that tend to leak when the person is suffering from diabetic retinopathy.

In a major breakthrough, Australian scientists have developed a new drug that offers treatment for people suffering from diabetic retinopathy -- the main cause of blindness from diabetes.

First Artificial Intelligence (AI) Device Approved by US FDA for Diabetic Retinopathy
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time has approved an Artificial Intelligence (AI) device that can help detect certain types of diabetes-related eye diseases.

‘The new drug CD5-2 could serve as an alternative to laser surgery or eye injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are sometimes painful and can result in side effects.’

The debilitating disease occurs when tiny blood vessels in the retina, responsible for detecting light- leak fluid or hemorrhage.

While treatment options include laser surgery or eye injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), they are not always effective or can result in side effects, highlighting the need for alternative therapeutic approaches.

The team from the Centenary Institute in Sydney developed a novel drug CD5-2, which in mouse models was found to mend the damaged blood-retinal barrier and reduce vascular leakage.

Eye Fat Could Help Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy
A particular type of lipid or fat present in eyes may play a key role in deterring the eye disease diabetic retinopathy, revealed researchers.

"We believe CD5-2 could potentially be used as a stand-alone therapy to treat those patients who fail to respond to the anti-VEGF treatment. It may also work in conjunction with existing anti-VEGF treatments to extend the effectiveness of the treatment," said lead author Ka Ka Ting from the Institute.

"With limited treatment options currently available, it is critical we develop alternative strategies for the treatment of this outcome of diabetes," Ting added

Targeted Interventions Improve Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
Interventions aimed at patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare system help improve overall screening for diabetic retinopathy.

The key process involved in diabetic retinopathy pathology is the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB), which is normally impermeable. Its integrity relies on how well capillary endothelial cells are bound together by tight junctions. If the junctions are loose or damaged, the blood vessels can leak.

In the study, reported in the journal Diabetologia, CD5-2 was found to have therapeutic potential for individuals with vascular-leak-associated retinal diseases based on its ease of delivery and its ability to reverse vascular dysfunction as well as inflammatory aspects in animal models of retinopathy.

Youths With Diabetes Not Being Screened as Recommended for Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious complication of diabetes that is often asymptomatic in early and occasionally later stages.

Previous studies have shown that CD5-2 can have positive effects on the growth of blood vessels.

"This drug has shown great promise for the treatment of several major health problems, in the eye and in the brain," said Professor Jenny Gamble, head of Centenary's Vascular Biology Programme.

The researchers now plan to conduct a full-scale clinical trial, Gamble said.

Source-IANS