Global approach to prevent microvessel complications in diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A global approach to prevent secondary microvessel complications in diabetes
IRAS ID
287874
Contact name
Rebecca Foster
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This can act as a toxin, damaging small blood vessels around the body and making them leakier. Leaky small blood vessels in eye can lead to diabetic eye disease (secondary complications).
Blood vessels are lined with a protective seaweed-like layer called the glycocalyx. People with diabetes have a thinner glycocalyx and have more proteins in the blood (like heparanase) that act like scissors and chop up the glycocalyx. This happens early in diabetes before secondary blood vessel complications develop, such as diabetic eye disease. We believe that damage to the glycocalyx in diabetes can lead to leakiness in all blood vessels. We have shown that repairing the glycocalyx in diabetes prevents leaky blood vessels in the kidney and have data suggesting this may also happen in the eye. If damage to the glycocalyx is the same in all blood vessels in diabetes, then we may be able to protect them in the same way.
Little is known about the glycocalyx in the eye and whether it is involved in the development of diabetic eye disease. We aim to understand how the glycocalyx normally prevents leakiness of small blood vessels in the eye. We then aim to find out whether diabetes affects the glycocalyx in the eye. Our main and final aim is to use a drug to stop proteins in the blood, like heparanase, from chopping up the glycocalyx. We will then find out if the small blood vessels in the eye and kidney are protected in diabetes and work better as a result. This work will be done in rats with diabetes. Critically, we need to confirm that the glycocalyx is present in human eyes and damaged in diabetes. This will make the experimental work in this project physiologically relevant.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SC/0143
Date of REC Opinion
25 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion