Profiling of RP patients undergoing cataract and retinal surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
RNA and protein profiling of the aqueous and vitreous of Retinitis Pigmentosa patients undergoing cataract and retinal surgery
IRAS ID
269234
Contact name
Roly Megaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic eye disease that causes blindness. It has no treatment, largely because the mechanism of disease is poorly understood. Our aim is to determine the mechanism by which patients with RP lose their light sensing cells (photoreceptors). It is through death of these cells that vision is lost.
It is believed that, in RP, photoreceptors die by a process of programmed cell death called Apoptosis. For apoptosis to occur, certain genes must be turned on. This results in molecules, known as RNA and proteins, being made. As the cells die these will be released into the eye. If we could measure the RNA and protein levels in the eye it might give us a clue as to how the cells are dying.
During cataract surgery, 'aqueous' fluid is removed from the front chamber of the eye and replaced by elastic gel to make the surgery possible. During retinal surgery, 'vitreous' fluid is removed from the back chamber of the eye as part of the procedure. We would like to take a sample of this aqueous or vitreous from RP patients and healthy controls undergoing cataract surgery and retinal surgery respectively and compare the RNA and protein levels in the samples. We hope that differences observed between the patient and control samples may inform us as to how the photoreceptor cells are dying in RP.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2
REC reference
20/ES/0098
Date of REC Opinion
3 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion