In Vivo Modeling of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a blinding complication of chronic, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Ace Therapeutics provides one-stop solutions to help clients develop multiple animal models to study the etiology and pathogenesis of DR and to develop and evaluate therapies to treat the disease.

Introduction to Diabetic Retinopathy

DR is damage to the blood vessels of the retina that can impair the vision or even lead to blindness in the worst conditions. Poor control of blood glucose triggers DR, along with the long duration of diabetes along with elevated blood pressure. Hyperglycemia leads to microangiopathy that results in increased vascular permeability leading to leakage and DME. The vascular permeability causes capillary occlusion, retinal ischemia, and an increase in VEGF levels.
DR is classified as either nonproliferative (NPDR) or proliferative (PDR), depending on whether neovascularization is present. NPDR presents with microaneurysms, hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, and capillary nonperfusion, where PDR may show retinal and vitreous hemorrhages and even retinal detachment.

Fig 1. Pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Fig. 1. Schematic representation of disease progression of diabetic retinopathy. (Olivares A M, et al., 2017)

Our Modeling Service for Diabetic Retinopathy

We offer diverse animal models of diabetic retinopathy, including those with genetic predispositions, immunologic etiologies, and environmentally induced disease. These models allow researchers to simulate and investigate different aspects of DR, facilitating the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches.

Our Methods for Diabetic Retinopathy Modeling

Methods for Induced Models

Surgical removal of the pancreas
Administration of the streptozotocin (STZ)
Administration of the alloxan
High-galactose diets
Laser or chemical damage to the eye

Methods for Genetic Models

Gene editing and selective breeding

Animal Selection for Diabetic Retinopathy Modeling

Animals	Advantages
Rodent Models	Low cost, short lifespan, quick breeding rates. Can be easily engineered to exhibit a propensity toward the pathogenesis of DR. A variety of available mouse and rat models of DR, including pharmacologically induced DR models, models carrying endogenous mutations (e.g., NOD mice, KKAy, ZDF rats, OLETF rats), and models of proliferative retinopathy (e.g., oxygen-induced retinopathy mouse models).
Canine Models	Produce retinal pathology similar to human disease, including many typical features such as pericyte loss, thickened capillary basement membrane, and dot and blot hemorrhages.
Feline Models	Exhibit retinal changes including cotton-wool spots (CWS), vascular leakage, and neovascularization (NV).
Swine Models	The similarity of eye structure to humans in size, retinal structure, and vascularity. Easily visualized vascular structures.
Rabbit Models	Achieving a DR phenotype in a short time. Produce retinal pathology similar to human disease.
Non-Human Primate Models	Suitable for NPDR studies. The presence of maculae that are not found in other animal models.
Zebrafish Models	Share a similar eye structure to the human eye. Ease of genetic manipulation. Effective short life and low cost.

Our Analysis Services for Diabetic Retinopathy Research

With a full-service offering in animal model analysis, we provide detailed insight into the progression of DR and its response to treatment.

Vascular changes monitored by FP, OCT, electrophysiologic testing, and FFA
Histologic examination of the sampled eyes to examine the retinal vasculature.
Gene and protein expression through molecular and biochemical techniques, including quantitative PCR, microarrays, and protein/enzyme/cytokine assays are carried out in the eyes of DR animal models.

Contact us for further details on how we can tailor our services to meet your specific requirements. With our extensive experience in developing animal models for DR and our expertise as consultants, we can help optimize and accelerate your DR drug development program.

Reference

Olivares A M, et al. (2017) Animal models of diabetic retinopathy. Current Diabetes Reports. 17: 1-17.

All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.

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