The Michigan-based Thomas Foundation has renewed its support of diabetic retinopathy research at the Wayne State University School of Medicine for the 18th continuous year.

Professor of Ophthalmology and of Anatomy and Cell Biology Renu Kowluru, Ph.D., is the principal investigator on the research project, and will receive $30,250 for 2018. The Kowluru lab will examine the role of mitochondria in the development of diabetic retinopathy.

Retinopathy, the most common cause of acquired blindness in young adults and in diabetic patients, results from damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. All people with diabetes are at risk of developing retinopathy, and the risk increases the longer a person has diabetes. Between 40 percent and 45 percent of Americans with diabetes suffer from retinopathy, according to the National Eye Institute.

Understanding the role of DNA damage could assist in the creation of therapies to supplement controlling blood sugar levels to slow the progression of blindness brought about by diabetes complications.