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Summary: scientists have developed a new and powerful image method that reveals how immune cells behave in the eye long before visible damage in diabetic retinopathy occurs. Using a combination of a head set device, contact lenses and a personalized target lens, researchers were able to capture live liver activity live images in diabetic mice.
They discovered that microglia, the immune sentinels of the retina, became early hyperactive in the progression of the disease, which suggests that inflammation precedes the damage of blood vessels. The findings also show that the liraglutide of the Diabetes drug normalizes this hyperactivity, pointing to new paths of treatment and diagnostic tools to prevent blindness.
Key facts:
Early warning: microglia becomes hyperactive before visible vascular damage in diabetic retinopathy. New image tool: A personalized optical system allows real -time visualization of living retinal cells.
Source: University of Kobe
Diabetic retinopathy, a form of diabetic ocular disease, is one of the main causes of blindness worldwide.
“It is understood that the vision is lost due to the damage to the blood vessels in the retina, but recent investigations have identified that the abnormalities in the neurons and the immune cells begin before the vascular damage,” says the neurophysiologist of the University of Kobe Tachibana Yoshihisa.
He continues: “In particular, microglia, immune cells residing in the retina and constantly monitor their environment, begin inflammation when abnormalities occur. But because it is difficult to observe their behavior in living organisms, much of their participation has remained in darkness.”
Conventional microscopy configurations require advanced technical experience to correct distorted images or not achieve high resolution live images with easily available technology. That is why Tachibana and his team developed a new technology that combines a head set device, custom contact lenses and a special objective lens but commercially available.
“This approach allows us a clear observation and long term of the living retina, to the thorough movements of the microglia,” says the researcher at the University of Kobe.
In PNAS magazine, Tachibana and his team now report that their newly developed method allowed them to identify that microglia began to move more actively in diabetic mice, which indicates a greater monitoring activity, long before tissue damage is noticed.
“This phenomenon has been overlooked in conventional observation in non -living specimens and is an important finding that provides a new perspective to understand the pathology of diabetic retinopathy,” explains Tachibana.
His team also observed the effect of the liraglutida of the Diabetes drug on microglia. They discovered that in diabetic mice, the augmented activity of microglia turned to normal, but also that the activity of these cells was also reduced in healthy mice. In addition, the medicine did not alter blood sugar levels.
Tachibana says: “This suggests that liraglutida acts on microglia through a mechanism that directly modulates its behavior.”
With ideas such as these become possible, the ability to observe the behavior of cells in the living organism is directly great to develop new treatments.
“We hope that this technology will be useful for other retinal diseases, such as glaucoma and age -related macular degeneration, also,” says Tachibana. But the researcher at the University of Kobe also has the view of another objective.
He says: “blindness for diabetic ocular disease is a serious global challenge. We hope that our technology is used in clinical environments as a non -invasive diagnostic method, which makes the eye a window to detect systemic diseases.”
FINANCING: This research was financed by Bayer Japan Retina Award, Novartis Japan Co. Ltd., Alcon Japan Ltd., Bayer Yakuhin Ltd. The Japan Research and Medical Development Agency (Subsidies 24WM0425001, 24ZF0127010, 24ZF0127012), The Science and Technology Agency of Japan (GRANTS JPMJMS239F, JPMJMS2299), The Takeda Science Foundation, The Japan Diabetes Foundation, Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd. and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (subsidies 15k10865, 18k09409, 21k09698, 24k12805, 21h04812, 24K22086, 22K197332, 24K0239).
It was carried out in collaboration with researchers at the Center for Health Sciences at Texas University in Houston, the National Institute of Physiological Sciences and the University of Nagoya.
Key questions answered:
A: It is traditionally linked to damaged retinal blood vessels, but the new findings reveal that the abnormalities of early immune cells play a key role.
A: They built a specialized image system that combines contact lenses, a fixing device and a commercial target lens for high resolution live observation.
A: Identify microglial hyperactivity as an early marker opens new paths for intervention and possible non -invasive diagnoses.
About this visual neuroscience and research news from Neurotech
Author: Daniel Schenz
Source: University of Kobe
Contact: Daniel Schenz – University of Kobe
Image: The image is accredited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: The findings will be informed in PNAS
