eyecro co-authors paper in Molecular and Cellular Biology studying mechanisms leading to Diabetic Retinopathy

ByConnor Hodde

Serum retinol-binding protein (RBP4) is the sole specific transport protein for retinol in the blood, but it is also an adipokine with retinol-independent, pro-inflammatory activity associated with obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Here we show that RBP4-Tg mice develop progressive retinal degeneration, characterized by photoreceptor ribbon synapse deficiency and subsequent bipolar cell loss.  These findings suggest that serum RBP4 elevation could be a risk factor for retinal damage and vision loss in non-diabetic as well as diabetic patients.

Read the entire article here.

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Flexible Adult Stem Cells, Right There in Your Eye

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