'Sticky-trap' therapy helps treat diabetic retinopathy

Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada have developed a new therapy called 'sticky-trap' to treat diabetic retinopathy. 'Sticky-trap' is injected into the eye and the binding component within it attaches to the surface of cells and shuts down the abnormal blood vessels within the eye. Diabetic retinopathy causes vision loss when the extra, leaky blood vessels burst, which can result in tears in the retina. Current drug therapies that suppress the formation of the extra blood vessels pose the risk of harming healthy organs or impeding the healing of wounds if the drug leaves the eye and enters into the body's circulatory system. The 'sticky-trap' compound is stable and remains in the eye for quite awhile but when it does get into circulation, it inactivates, which prevents it from affecting other blood vessels, tissues and organs.*