Research

Penn State Hershey Retina Research Group

Overview

Normal vision requires all the cells in the retina to work together properly. Our approach to understanding how the retina malfunctions in diabetes is based on our observation that the normal interactions between the three main cellular components -- neurons, glial cells and tiny capillaries (vessels) -- are disturbed.

We believe that diabetes changes cellular interactions in a variety of ways, including altered blood-retinal barrier (BRB) induction, modified neurotransmitter (Glu) recycling, diminished metabolic support for neurons by glia, as well as leaking tight junctions (TJ).

A cure for diabetic retinopathy relies on an ability to understand the multiple facets of the disease. 

An interdisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in Ophthalmology, Physiology, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, the group's goal is to characterize the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to vision impairment in diabetes and to generate novel treatments to cure diabetic retinopathy.

Unique Research Approach

Normal Retina
Normal vision requires that all the cells in the retina -- neurons, glial cells, and vascular cells -- work together properly.

Diabetic Retina
The Penn State Hershey Retina Research Group has observed that the normal interactions between neurons, glial cells and vascular cells are disturbed in the diabetic retina.  Our research is aimed at finding a therapy to restore these interactions and, ultimately, to prevent or cure diabetic retinopathy.