Monash researchers show drug may prevent diabetes-induced vision loss

Dr Devi Deliyanti and Professor Jenny
Wilkinson-Berka are first and last authors
on the paper investigating a drug which
reduces oxidative stress in the retina.

by Anne Crawford

Scientists in Monash University’s Department of Diabetes have demonstrated that a novel drug that suppresses oxidative stress protects the retina against diabetes-induced damage and may prevent vision loss.

Globally, an estimated 70 million people have retinopathy caused by diabetes. The disease is the leading cause of blindness in young adults.

People with diabetes have high levels of glucose in their blood which stimulates oxidative stress, a process that causes damage to many cell types and ultimately cell death.

Congratulations to Prof Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka on JDRF Research Grant

Prof Wilkinson-Berka (on the right) and
her team received a three-year JDRF
Research Grant

Congratulations to Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka, head of the Retinopathy Laboratory, Department of Diabetes, who has been awarded a three-year JDRF Research Grant.

The grant will enable Prof Wilkinson-Berka and her team including clinicians from Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA),  to work on a translational project on T cells and diabetic retinopathy.

CCS Publications for the week ending 2 December 2016

Professor David Tarlinton's research group. L-R: Michael Low,
David Tarlinton, Cathy Pitt, Simona Infantino, Nick Kokovski.
Michael and David are authors on the HIV vaccines paper.

Recent publications for Central Clinical School affiliated authors in the departments of Immunology and Pathology, Infectious Diseases and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre.

Immunology and Pathology

Low MS, Tarlinton D. HIV Vaccines: One Step Closer. Trends Mol Med. 2016 Nov 23. pii: S1471-4914(16)30148-4. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2016.10.006. [Epub ahead of print]

Central Clinical School (CCS) funds 'Near Miss' grants

This year though there were many highly ranked grant applications for NHMRC funding, the overall percentage of applications funded was substantially down. CCS gave $150,000 for the two most highly ranked grant applications which missed out. Congratulations to the two 'Near Miss' grant recipients, A/Prof Margaret Hibbs and Prof Jenny Wilkinson-Berka.