Marita Feldkaemper (Section of Neurobiology of the Eye)

Intravitreal insulin injections increase eye growth in chicks especially when spectacle lenses are worn in addition. It is currently tested whether systemic insulin injections increase eye growth and lead to myopia development as well. Different second messenger cascades are activated after insulin binding in experimentally induced myopia and hyperopia and there might be a crosstalk between the dopaminergic pathway and insulin.

Results

Intraperitoneal insulin injections, in contrast to injections into the vitreous, do not seem to affect positive lens induced hyperopia development but seem to induce hyperopia in control eyes. Intravitreal insulin injections increased dopamine release after 3 days of positive lens wear. Further time points are currently investigated

Funding Agency

Running budget of the Section of Neurobiology of the Eye and the Department of Ophthalmology.