The Role of Vitreal Hyalocytes in the Pathogenesis of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

• Applicant: Dr. Stefaniya Boneva
• Subject Area: Ophthalmology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 520858927

The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular and cellular changes of vitreal macrophages, so-called hyalocytes, in the ischemic diabetic vitreous. To this end, hyalocytes from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and control patients will be characterized by flow cytometry, transcriptional profiling and immunohistochemistry and the findings will be correlated to the molecular microenvironment in the diabetic and non-diabetic vitreous. We hypothesize that oxygen depletion resulting from microvascular angiopathy in the diabetic vitreous alters the functional state of hyalocytes to a proangiogenic cellular component of the PDR that promotes the development of neovascularization. Thus, vitreal hyalocytes may represent a hitherto underappreciated source for the release of disease-relevant cytokines and may be a future therapeutic target in the treatment of PDR.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Hansjürgen Agostini; Professor Dr. Günther Schlunck