Scientists Find Protein That Could Stop Diabetic Blindness

Scientists have found a way to stop diabetic blindness before it begins, and a new treatment could reach people within years.

Researchers at UCL discovered that a protein called LRG1 triggers the earliest damage in diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults. The protein causes cells around tiny blood vessels in the eye to squeeze too tightly, cutting off oxygen to the retina and starting a chain reaction that eventually destroys vision.

When scientists blocked LRG1 in diabetic mice, the early damage never happened. Normal eye function stayed completely preserved.

"Our discovery shows that diabetic eye disease starts earlier than we thought, and LRG1 is a key culprit in this early damage," said lead author Dr. Giulia De Rossi from UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. The finding could help prevent blindness in millions of people living with diabetes.

Current treatments for diabetic retinopathy only start after symptoms like blurred vision appear. By that point, significant and often permanent damage has already occurred.

Existing therapies target a different protein called VEGF, but they work for only about half of patients and don't reverse harm that's already developed. Because LRG1 starts causing damage much earlier than VEGF, blocking it could stop the disease from progressing in the first place.

Nearly a third of adults with diabetes show signs of retinopathy, making it one of the most feared complications of the condition. The new research, published in Science Translational Medicine and funded by Diabetes UK, Moorfields Eye Charity, and Wellcome, offers hope for a better approach.

The Bright Side: The UCL team has already created a drug designed to target LRG1. The treatment has been tested in earlier studies and is undergoing additional preclinical research right now.

Scientists say it could move into human clinical trials soon. The therapy might help prevent diabetic retinopathy from developing at all, and could also benefit people with more advanced disease since LRG1 continues contributing to damage at later stages.

"The good news to accompany these findings is that we have already developed an LRG1 therapeutic ready for clinical trials," said Professor Emeritus Stephen Moss. "This could provide an effective new option for patients, especially those in the early stages of disease who don't respond to existing treatments."

Dr. Ailish Murray from Moorfields Eye Charity emphasized the importance: "This research offers an important and vital next step in helping to prevent this disease, offering the chance to save the sight of millions of people living with diabetes now and in the future."

For the first time, doctors may be able to protect vision before serious damage occurs.