TEARDROPS 0.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Tear Proteomics in Retinopathy of Prematurity (TEARDROPS:TEAr pRoteomics Deduce ROP Stage)
IRAS ID
289331
Contact name
A C Houtman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
R&D PR Team, NHS GG&C Research and Innovation
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Prematurely born babies are at risk of a number of complications that may affect the development of many organs and systems like the brain, lungs, intestines and eyes. As far as the eyes and vision are concerned, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is the most imminent problem in the first few months of life.
The retina (the ‘light-sensitive layer in the back of the eye') develops from the central posterior part of the eye towards the anterior part on the inside of the globe. Blood vessels follow suit and spread out, much like the branches of a tree, in/on the retina. This gradual development may be halted when a baby is born prematurely and given oxygen. Weeks later, when the baby has gained weight and the advancing retina’s metabolic demand is increased, the blood vessels start growing again, sometimes in a chaotic fashion and ending in a scarring phase that detaches the retina and renders the eye blind. A labour-intensive screening programme is in place to identify this relatively rare stage of ROP for which treatment is available.
The mechanism of ROP is very complex and only partly understood but a role for certain growth factors running out of control has been recognized. These factors are 'expressed' to different degrees throughout the body, and also in tears. An increased concentration of these factors heralds the sight-threatening phase of ROP.
Mass spectrometry may be employed to identify these factors in small samples of tears. We will take tear samples from a small cohort of a dozen premature babies to see if we may indeed identify relevant growth factors, by way of a pilot study. Ultimately, we hope to discover a relation between the concentration of these and the disease stage of ROP.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0214
Date of REC Opinion
20 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion