A close up of an eye

We’re funding a PhD studentship, supervised by Professor Christiana Ruhrberg and Professor Patric Turowski, which will study the role of the protein NRP1 in the repair and regeneration of blood vessels in the retina.

This is the first Moorfields Eye Charity Insight Fund PhD Studentship, generously supported through philanthropy.

The challenge

Retinal vascular diseases are conditions affecting the blood supply at the back of the eye (the retina). They include conditions such as retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular oedema and age-related macular degeneration.

In these conditions, the blood supply to the retina is reduced, which diminishes the oxygen supply to the retina. This triggers the production of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates the growth of new blood vessels.

However, the new blood vessels will often be leaky, which can cause bleeding and swelling and lead to vision distortion and sight loss.

stat icon

39,800

people develop neovascular (wet) AMD in the UK each year

A group of medicines called anti-VEGF are the standard treatment for many retinal vascular diseases. They work by blocking the VEGF protein from functioning. 

However, whilst anti-VEGF treatment can reduce leakage from damaged blood vessels, it does not restore functional blood vessels in areas of the retina that have lost their blood supply.

More research is needed to uncover how repair and regeneration of functional blood vessels can be stimulated. This could enable new treatments to be developed for patients with retinal vascular diseases.

Finding a solution

Previous research in Professor Christiana Ruhrberg’s lab showed that a protein called neuropilin 1 (NRP1) has a key function for healthy blood vessel growth and regeneration in the retina, as it allows blood vessels to stick to cells in the retina.

What is NRP1?

Learn more

NRP1 is a receptor that binds to different signalling proteins and promotes the growth of blood vessels. Its effects depend on the specific proteins it binds to. If it binds to VEGF, it can promote the growth of abnormal and leaky blood vessels, however binding to other, as yet unidentified molecules may promote healthy blood vessel growth.

In this three-year project, PhD student Mengmeg Dong will investigate how the NRP1 protein regulates blood vessel growth in the healthy eye, and whether it can be stimulated to promote healthy blood vessel growth in the retina. 

Moreover, Mengmeng will investigate which molecules bind to NRP1 to stimulate the growth of blood vessels that are not leaky. 

PhD student Mengmeng Dong presented a research poster at the 2024 UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Early Career Researchers Symposium

The potential

Understanding how the NRP1 protein promotes healthy blood vessel growth and regeneration will aid future research into treatments for retinal vascular diseases.

If they can identify the proteins that bind to NRP1 in this process, this could help to identify possible therapeutic targets that could stimulate healthy blood vessel regeneration.

We are very excited and hugely grateful for the support of the Moorfields Eye Charity Insight Fund for enabling this research. Our hope is that this project will support our understanding of crucial pathways in vessel repair and regeneration in the retina, to one day inform the development of new therapeutics.”

Professor Christiana Ruhrberg, professor of neuronal and vascular development at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

This could lead to the development of more effective treatments for patients with retinal vascular diseases and help to prevent sight loss.

This project is the first to be supported through the Moorfields Eye Charity Insight Fund, a new Permanent Endowment Fund to support research. 

Thanks to the exceptional commitment of our anonymous lifetime donors, the Moorfields Eye Charity Insight Fund will support world-leading research in eye health.

Project Details

Funding scheme

PhD Studentship

Grant holder

Christiana Ruhrberg

Area(s) of work

Age-related macular degeneration; Diabetic retinopathy

Award level

£124,660

Start date

April 2024

Grant reference

GR001659