Mohammad Sheikh-Khalil
Pronouns: He/him
Research Mentor(s): Patrice Fort
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Ophthalmology / Medicine
Program: UROP
Session: Session 1 (9:00am – 9:50am)
Authors: Mohammad Sheikh-Khalil, Lynda Elghazi-Cras, Patrice Fort
Abstract
The primary neurodegenerative retinal disease associated with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is among the leading causes of vision loss and blindness throughout the world. The pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy is complex and has been shown to be associated with metabolic perturbations including chronic hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, and dyslipidemia. These changes are associated with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and vascular and neuronal dysfunction, and can lead to severe vision loss. The overall aim of this study is to section, collect, and analyze the impact of diabetes on the retinal anatomy of human donors with and without diabetes and DR. Our methodology consisted of using ocular tissues from human donors to generate retinal cross-sections to be analyzed by histological approach. A comparison analysis was then performed between retinal samples of non-diabetic individuals and those with diabetes or DR so that we can assess the presence of anatomical changes in retinal layers. Histological analysis allows us to observe the contrast in the retinal organization of diabetic retinopathy as opposed to non-diabetic and diabetic retinas. The significance of this research lies in a better understanding of the impact of diabetes on retinal anatomy and its potential to enable the development of novel therapies that can prevent, or reverse, vision impairment caused by diabetes.
