Quarterly

Behind the Eyes: Ophthalmic Vascular Research Program Searches for Answers

Many of us take one of the greatest gifts we have been given for granted—the gift of sight. But each year, more and more people face problems with their eyes that could take that gift away. According to several recent national studies, more than 30 million Americans suffer from various eye diseases and close to three and a half million are visually impaired. Yet little is known regarding the causes of some of the most common, yet debilitating diseases, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration—the number one cause of legal blindness—and diabetic retinopathy, to name a few. But Scott & White is hoping to change that with a new research program aimed at finding new treatments for some of these diseases.

The Scott & White Ophthalmic Vascular Research Program is a one-of-a-kind program studying blood vessels within the eye.

"Unfortunately, there is still much that we need to know about how the blood vessels in the eye work," said Robert Rosa, M.D., retinal specialist and ophthalmic pathologist in the Division of Ophthalmology at The Scott & White Eye Institute, and a researcher with the Ophthalmic Vascular Research Program. "First, we are looking at how these blood vessels work under normal conditions, then we will look at specific diseases to see how the blood vessels function in those conditions. If there are abnormalities, we will search for ways to change or treat those disorders."

As a component of the new program, Scott & White recruited an internationally known researcher who has spent his career studying small blood vessels in the heart. Lih Kuo, Ph.D., is a Professor of Medical Physiology at The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine. He is also a faculty member of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI), a joint effort of Scott & White, The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center and the Central Texas Veterans' Health Care System. Dr. Kuo was recruited to hold the Kruse Family Centennial Chair in Ophthalmology and to develop the Ophthalmic Vascular Research Program on the Scott & White campus.

"Although my background is in heart research, I have observed that there has been very little research focusing on how blood vessels function in the common diseases of the eye," Dr. Kuo said. "I decided to join this program because I realized I can apply what we already know about how blood vessels work in the heart to the blood vessels in the eye. This is a chance for me to do something different and contribute in a whole new area."

While the new laboratories will be in the Texas A&M Medical Research Building on the Scott & White campus, the new program will also have laboratory space at the new Scott & White Pavilion, which opened in April. There, Dr. Rosa will be able to measure blood flow in the eyes of patients with various eye conditions and apply this information to the research being done in the lab.

"Being able to have the resources at the pavilion is a wonderful advantage," Dr. Rosa said. "From the very beginning, Scott & White has been committed to this program. Scott & White has allocated significant resources in order to establish this one-of-a-kind research program."

With strong backgrounds as clinicians and researchers, and each with their own expertise, Dr. Rosa and Dr. Kuo are up to the challenge of creating a whole new future for ophthalmic vascular research.

"Researchers have spent decades finding out all they can about our cardiovascular system, and as a result have found ways to save lives and help people live healthier lives," Dr. Kuo said. "Now more people are focusing on improving their quality of life, and that is what we are trying to do here ... learn as much as we can to treat the eye problems that more and more people are facing in order to improve patient outcomes."

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