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  Joslin Investigator:
   
  
Lloyd M. Aiello, MD
 
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Eye Research

Past Fellows, etc.:
Lloyd Aiello
Michael Bradbury
Jose Briones
Mary Brittis
Jean Charles
Dean Cummins
Kenneth Eng
Don Fong
Leonard Ginsburg
Erwin Hultsch
S. Murphy
Timothy Murtha
Peter Pavan
Gary Rankin
Karen Robertson
Deborah Schlossman
Sabera Shah
George Sharuk
Robert Villalobos
Jeffrey Weiss
Joseph Younger

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Joslin Section of Eye Research

 
 
Lloyd M AielloM, MD
Investigator
Joslin Diabetes Center
Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology
Harvard Medical School
 
1/1/2001 -  
 
 Saving the Gift of Sight

Dr. Lloyd M. Aiello has headed the Section for more than 25 years and is known world-wide for his efforts in the development of laser surgery to treat diabetic eye disease. In conjunction with Sven Bursell, Ph.D., he and others in the Section now are in the midst of developing a new technology that they hope will be equally important in preventing sight loss from diabetes. The new technology uses video cameras to take a picture of the inside of the eye to detect problems such as diabetic retinopathy (the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina of the eye, or other vessel changes causing fluid leakage and retinal damage).



The anticipated advantages of the new experimental technology are numerous. The precision of the system allows doctors to detect and locate minute changes in the eye so that problems can be identified sooner than with existing still photography. A further advantage is that video technology is instantaneous - still photographs have to be sent out to be developed. In contrast, the video images can be examined as they are taken, so that eventually patients will be able to be tested, have the physician examine the results and discuss the diagnosis and treatment all in a single visit. Yet another advantage is that video technology uses a lower level of light than conventional photography to get clear pictures of the inside of the eye, which makes the video examination far more pleasant for patients than conventional photographs. In addition, plans for developing the Joslin Vision Network, as this new technology is called, mean that eventually video cameras can be placed at geographically or culturally distant locations, where technicians can photograph and transmit images to doctors at Joslin in Boston for analysis.



The Joslin Vision Network (JVN) is currently being tested at Joslin in Boston and at the South Cove Community Health Center, a center which provides services for the Asian American community in Boston. The latter is linked via telecommunications to the JVN site at Joslin.



The Eye Research section is also active in studies investigating the association between retinal blood flow changes, protein kinase C and the level of diabetic retinopathy in patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. These studies, as well as studies to determine whether vitamin E can be used to slow the development of blood vessel disease, including eye disease, are being conducted in conjunction with the Section on Vascular Cell Biology.



Selected References:



Aiello, L.M., Cavallerano, J.D., Ocular complications of Diabetes Mellitus, In: Kahn, C.R., Weir, G.C., (Ed.), Joslin's Diabetes Mellitus, 13th edition, Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1994: 771-793.



Aiello, L.M., Cavallerano, J.D., Aiello, L.P., Bursell, S.E., Exercise and Diabetic Retinopathy, In: The Health Professional's Guide to Diabetes and Exercise, American Diabetes Association, 1995:145-151.



Aiello, L.M., Cavallerano, J.D., Diabetic Retinopathy. In: Landers, M.B., Bradbury, M.J., Kreiger, A.E. (Ed.), CD-Rom Atlas of Retinal Disease, Medical Video Productions, St. Louis, MO, 1996.



Bursell, S.E., Gardner, W.K., Aiello, L.P., Aiello, L.M., "A Telecommunication Based Network for Retinal Imaging and Diabetic Retinopathy Screening," ARVO, 1996.



Chew, E.Y., Klein, M.L., Ferris, F.L., Remaley, N.A., Murphy, R.P., Chantry, K., Hoogwerf, B.Y., Miller, D., ETDRS Research Group, L.M. Aiello, National Co-Chairman, Association of Elevated Serum Lipid Levels with Retinal Hard Exudate in Diabetic Retinopathy, ETDRS Report 22, Arch Ophthal., Sept., 1996, 114: 1079-1084.



Biographical Sketch:



Dr. Aiello is Director, Beetham Eye Institute and Chief, Section on Eye Research at Joslin Diabetes Center. He is Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Aiello received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and did his residency training at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including serving as National Co-Chairman for the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (1978-1992); the David Rumbough Scientific Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International; the Lighthouse Pisart Vision Award; the Henkind Memorial Lectureship of the Macular Society; and the Leo R. Breitman Excellence in Research Award from the JDF Massachusetts Affiliate.