High blood sugar levels in diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels. One consequence of this is the development of diabetic eye disease – diabetic retinopathy. This results from the formation of aberrant blood vessels in the retina which leak fluid into the retina causing swelling – oedema. Current treatments reduce the formation of these blood vessels in an attempt to reduce fluid build-up, however in up to 60% of patients some oedema remains. This project will attempt to develop a formulation that can remove this oedema-related fluid in a controlled and safe way which may improve patient outcomes and preserve sight in people with diabetes. Current treatments for diabetic macular oedema are injected into the eye via intravitreal injection and the therapeutic developed herein will be designed with this in mind.
A sustained release therapeutic will be developed to ensure the minimum possible injection frequency. Bearing in mind the clinical application, the formulation will be tested to ensure it can be injected at a suitable force and will form a hydrogel in the correct region of the eye. Release of the therapeutic molecule will then be measured in conditions mimicking the human eye. Results from a variety of formulations using different doses of the therapeutic will be collated to determine an optimal formulation which can progress to further pre-clinical testing.
