Rewiring vision: Unlocking new treatments for retinal disease
Dr Silvia Dragoni and her research team at the University of Brighton are investigating how blood vessels behave in the retina to discover new treatments for retinal diseases. By studying a protein called Piezo1, this research aims to identify more targeted therapies for patients who don’t respond to existing treatments.
Dr Silvia Dragoni
Role: Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences
Institution: University of Brighton
Project name: Treat Retinal Disorders
Project type: Seed Award
Project status: Ongoing
Many eye diseases arise from problems in the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the retina. When these vessels become damaged, they can leak or grow abnormally, leading to sight loss. Conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration affect millions of people, including around 2 million in the UK alone.
Current treatments aim to control these conditions, often by targeting a molecule called VEGF. However, these treatments are not effective for everyone, around half of patients do not respond, and some may experience side effects or develop resistance over time.
This highlights an urgent need for new, more targeted approaches. With funding from Sight Research UK, Dr Dragoni and her team are investigating a protein called Piezo1, which plays a key role in how cells respond to mechanical forces such as pressure and blood flow. Dr Dragoni says:
“By studying Piezo1, we aim to uncover key mechanisms underlying retinal disease and ultimately contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.”
If successful, this research could pave the way for more precise treatments that target the root causes of disease, rather than just managing symptoms.
This could mean more effective therapies with fewer side effects, improving outcomes and quality of life for patients living with retinal conditions.
In the longer term, these discoveries could lead to entirely new treatment approaches, offering hope to the many people for whom current options are limited. Dr Dragoni adds:
“Our goal is to better understand how these diseases develop so we can move closer to treatments that are more effective, more targeted, and ultimately preserve sight.”
