Modulating diet and the immune system to treat diabetic retinopathy

This project aims to determine if modulating the immune system using diets supplemented with vitamin A are beneficial for diabetic retinopathy. We will evaluate if these approaches increase anti-inflammatory Tregs in lymphoid organs and the eye with a concomitant reduction in injurious microglia (macrophages) and retinal vascular pathology. The studies will be performed in animal models of diabetic retinopathy.