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Columbia University Medical Center NewsroomCUMC Expert Resources
| ![[picture of Gaetano Barile, M.D. ]](http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/pics/barile_gaetano_90.jpg) Gaetano Barile, M.D. ,
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetic retinopathy—or the umbrella term referring to all diabetic-related irregularities of the retina's small blood vessels—is responsible for nearly 10% of legal blindness in the United States, making it the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. This translates into roughly 12,000 to 24,000 people losing their sight each year because of diabetes. Dr. Gaetano Barile, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology and Glaubinger Scholar in Retinal Research at Columbia University Medical Center, is investigating a number of pharmacological approaches to prevent or reverse sight loss in people with diabetes. Dr. Barile is specifically looking at the relationship between diabetic retinopathy and the cellular receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), which is known to be a key component in the emergence of diabetes complications. He can talk about the process by which RAGE influences the development and appearance of retinal disease, and how this information could ultimately yield important and exciting new drug therapies in the treatment of related vision loss. For press inquiries, please contact Elizabeth Streich (eas2125@columbia.edu or 212-305-6535) or Alex Lyda (mal2113@columbia.edu or 212-305-0820).
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