Investigating blood vessel regeneration in the retina 

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

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.