Devi Deliyanti and Jenny Wilkinson-Berka awarded DARP grants for retinopathy research

Congratulations to Dr Devy Deliyanti and Professor Jenny Wilkinson-Berka on being awarded Diabetes Australia Research Program (DARP) grants for their research on diabetic retinopathy!



Dr Devy Deliyanti

Retinal disease is the most feared complication of diabetes, with almost all patients experiencing some visual disturbances and some patients progressing to severe vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy is characterised by damage to small blood vessels in the retina which can proliferate and leak blood into the vitreous cavity of the eye. Dr Deliyanti and Prof Wilkinson-Berka are investigating two very different approaches to the problem.

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.

Immune cells discovered in the eye may help premature babies

Wilkinson-Berka group. L-R: Mr Jack Jerome,  Ms Osanna Wong, Mr
Saeed Alrashdi, Dr Devy Deliyanti, Professor Jenny Wilkinson-Berka.
Jack, Devy and Jenny are authors on the paper.

by Anne Crawford

Ground-breaking research by Monash University scientists has demonstrated the previously unknown existence of a disease-fighting immune cell in the eye and points to potential novel ways of treating eye disorders in premature babies and diabetic adults.

The scientists, led by Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka in the Central Clinical School’s new Department of Diabetes, were investigating improved ways of treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which occurs in very small, prematurely born babies.

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.

Photo of the week: Wilkinson-Berka diabetic retinopathy group

L-R: Mr Jack Jerome (Research assistant), Ms Osanna Wong (PhD student), Mr Saeed Alrashdi (PhD student), Dr Devy Deliyanti (Research fellow), Prof Jenny Wilkinson-Berka (Group leader). Absent: Mr David Berka (Technical assistant). Jenny's group, specialising in diabetic retinopathy, was previously in the Department of Immunology and Pathology, and has now moved to the new Department of Diabetes. See more about her group and its research at: www.med.monash.edu/cecs/diabetes/research/wilkinson-berka-group.html

Congratulations to NHMRC Fellowship & Development Grant CCS recipients!

Congratulations to all recipients of National Health & Medical Research Council Fellowship funding starting from 2017. Central Clinical School Fellowship (x4) and Development Grant (x1) recipients are:

Dr Stuart Marshall - Health Professional Research Fellowship (part-time). Stuart is in the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine. Almost every member of clinical staff in hospitals now carries a smartphone or tablet. These devices can improve staff performance when life-saving information such as reminders of complex procedures during medical emergencies are delivered in a clear way. This fellowship applies design processes used in other high-risk industries such as in military and nuclear power settings to devise ‘e-aids’ for clinicians to improve outcomes in health emergencies. Stuart can be followed at @hypoxicchicken.

Congratulations to Pam Tong Zhu on completing her PhD!

Congratulations to Pam Tong Zhu on completing her PhD! Pam's thesis is titled "The role of renin angiotensin system in retinal inflammation", and was ratified by the Graduate Research Steering Committee on Tuesday 10 May 2016. Pam's supervisors were Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka (Department of Immunology and Pathology) and Dr Alex Agrotis.

A cardiorenal drug helps in diabetic retinopathy

Dr Devy Deliyanti, lead author and Prof
Jenny Wilkinson-Berka, last author.

A Monash University-Melbourne University collaboration has found that FT011, a novel cardiorenal protective drug, reduces inflammation, gliosis and vascular injury in rats with diabetic retinopathy.

Publication: Inhibition of NOX1/4 with GKT137831: potential novel treatment for a variety of vision-threatening retinopathies

Dr Devy Deliyanti and Prof Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka

with Devy's PhD thesis. 

Inflammation and the excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of ischemic retinopathies such as diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity. Department of Immunology's Prof Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka and Dr Devy Deliyanti have hypothesized that GKT137831, a dual inhibitor of NADPH oxidases (NOX) 1 and NOX4, reduces inflammation in the ischemic retina by dampening the pro-inflammatory phenotype of retinal immune cells as well as macroglial Müller cells and neurons. They have concluded that NOX1/4 enzyme inhibition with GKT137831 has potent anti-inflammatory effects in the retina, indicating its potential as a treatment for a variety of vision-threatening retinopathies.

Reference: Deliyanti D, Wilkinson-Berka JL. Inhibition of NOX1/4 with GKT137831: A potential novel treatment to attenuate neuroglial cell inflammation in the retina. J Neuroinflammation. 2015 Jul 30;12:136.Link

Review article: Are reactive oxygen species still the basis for diabetic complications?

Despite the wealth of pre-clinical support for a role for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) in the aetiology of diabetic complications, enthusiasm for antioxidant therapeutic approaches has been dampened by less favourable outcomes in large clinical trials. This has necessitated a re-evaluation of pre-clinical evidence and a more rational approach to antioxidant therapy. The present review considers current evidence, from both pre-clinical and clinical studies, to address the benefits of antioxidant therapy.

Forthcoming CCS events: PhD seminars, public events, general notices

Saeed Alrashdi with his supervisor
Prof Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka

Central Clinical School has regular seminar series and postgraduate presentations. All event notices are maintained on the CCS Events calendar.  CCS staff & students can see details of both public and local events (including professional development courses, trade fairs and HDR calendars) and deadlines, at the Intranet's Announcements page.  Various Departments have their own calendars, see CCS seminar index: www.med.monash.edu.au/cecs/events/seminars.html

What's on for next week (27 Apr-1 May)

Mon Apr 27 12:30 PM ► Psychiatry Professorial Grand Round
Wed Apr 29 11:30 AM ► Confirmation of PhD Candidature - Mr Saeed Alrashdi

Into the Future

• 13, 20 May Mind Your Family: Upskilling Health Practitioners on Family Violence
• 15 June 3MT thesis deadline for registration

Mechanisms of retinopathy in premature babies teased out: Immunology research

ARS cover image is by
Dr Devy Deliyanti, one
of the paper's authors

Effective preventive therapies for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) don't exist, yet globally, there are at least 50,000 children blind from ROP. Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka in the Department of Immunology leads research efforts into understanding the problem. A recently published paper shows that one form of a particular enzyme complex called NADPH oxidase (NOX) is involved in the development of retinopathy. The research indicates that blocking the action of NOX1 prevents the damage from occurring. Reference: NADPH Oxidase, NOX1, Mediates Vascular Injury in Ischemic Retinopathy. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. V 20, No 17, 2014 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5357

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.