# Diabetic Retinopathy: genetics and neurodegeneration

> **NIH NIH K23** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $290,835

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the leading cause of vision loss among working aged adults. Its prevalence is
increasing and despite the strides in knowledge and treatments, our understanding of the pathways leading to
vision loss in DM remains limited. Hyperglycemia and duration of DM contribute to but do not fully explain the
predisposition to develop diabetic retinal diseases. Given the predisposition for diabetic retinal diseases to
cluster in families, genetic risk factors are thought to be important but none has so far been definitively
implicated. Furthermore, data from small studies suggest that there are more phenotypes of diabetic retinal
disease than are currently recognized in clinical practice. Diabetic retinal disease has traditionally been
considered primarily a vascular process: diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are the
main clinical manifestations. With improved imaging modalities and image analysis algorithms, there has been
increasing recognition of a new clinical manifestation of diabetic retinal disease, diabetic retinal
neurodegeneration (DRN). This is visible as alterations in thickness of retinal nerve fiber (RNFL) and/or
ganglion cell layer (GCL) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. To date, DRN is poorly understood,
and its role in clinical management of patients with DM has not been established. However, if retinal
neurodegeneration occurs and is progressive, it can lead to profound visual difficulties for patients with DM.
DRN may account for previously unexplained poor visual outcomes among patients with diabetic retinal
disease despite standard of care treatment. Dr. Channa is a retina specialist, with prior research experience in
retinal imaging and clinical trials of novel treatments for DME. In this K23 career development award she
proposes to use a nationally representative dataset, the UK Biobank cohort to: 1) improve our understanding of
DRN by determining RNFL and GCL thickness, using OCT imaging, in participants with DM (who have no DR
or DME) compared to those who do not have DM 2) determine genetic factors associated with DR, DME and
DRN. Dr. Channa proposes a career development plan, which includes mentorship, coursework, publications
and clinical time. This will situate her as an independent clinician-scientist with expertise in translational
research employing bioinformatics and computational skills in genomics and retinal image analysis to elucidate
pathways of vision loss among patients with DM, ultimately leading to development of novel therapies. Her
research work and career development will take place in the academic and collaborative environment of the
largest medical center in the world, where she has institutional support and mentorship to develop as an
independent clinician-scientist.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9868630
- **Project number:** 1K23EY030911-01
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Roomasa Channa
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $290,835
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2020-09-20

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9868630

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9868630, Diabetic Retinopathy: genetics and neurodegeneration (1K23EY030911-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9868630. Licensed CC0.

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