• Prof. Massimo Porta, Full Professor - PI 
• Dr. Elena Beltramo, Research Technician – Group Coordinator

Lab. Diabetic Retinopathy - Corso Dogliotti 14, ground floor, room T166A, mail: elena.beltramo@unito.it  tel 011.6334303/011.6708471, fax 011.2368471

• Prof. Massimo Porta
• Dr. Elena Beltramo

The research group studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular disease, in particular diabetic retinopathy:

1. Study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular disease, in particular diabetic retinopathy.
2. Role of thiamine in the reduction of hyperglycaemic damage in microvascular cells and in vitro models of the inner blood-retinal barrier.
3. Evaluation of the possible beneficial role of several anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and neuroprotective compounds in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy.
4. Molecular and functional analysis of miRNAs/mRNAs/proteins carried by extracellular vesicles derived from plasma of diabetic subjects with or without retinopathy, to identify putative biomarkers.
5. Characterization of a human microglial line, to better understand the interactions between the neuroretina and the microvasculature in the development of diabetic retinopathy.
6. Study of the influence of the extracellular vesicles released by the neuronal component (microglia, Mϋller cells) on the retinal microvessels.

1. Mazzeo A, Barutta F, Bellucci L, Trento M, Gruden G, Porta M, Beltramo E. Reduced Thiamine Availability and Hyperglycemia Impair Thiamine Transport in Renal Glomerular Cells through Modulation of Thiamine Transporter 2. Biomedicines 2021;9(4):385. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9040385.
2. Beltramo E, Mazzeo A, Lopatina T, Trento M, Porta M. Thiamine transporter 2 is involved in high glucose-induced damage and altered thiamine availability in cell models of diabetic retinopathy. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2020;17(1):1479164119878427. doi: 10.1177/1479164119878427.
3. Mazzeo A, Lopatina T, Gai C, Trento M, Porta M, Beltramo E. Functional analysis of miR-21-3p, miR-30b-5p and miR-150-5p shuttled by extracellular vesicles from diabetic subjects reveals their association with diabetic retinopathy. Exp Eye Res 2019;184:56-63. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.04.015.
4. Mazzeo A, Beltramo E, Lopatina T, Gai C, Trento M, Porta M. Molecular and functional characterization of circulating extracellular vesicles from diabetic patients with and without retinopathy and healthy subjects. Exp Eye Res 2018;176:69-77. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.07.003.
5. Mazzeo A, Beltramo E, Iavello A, Carpanetto A, Porta M. Molecular mechanisms of extracellular vesicle-induced vessel destabilization in diabetic retinopathy. Acta Diabetol 2015;52:1113-9. doi: 10.1007/s00592-015-0798-9

• European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) / Boehringer Ingelheim European Programme for Microvascular Complications: Thiamine transporters and hyperglycaemia-induced damage in human retinal and renal cells (PI Massimo Porta)
• Ricerca locale ex-60% 2018 (PI Elena Beltramo)
• Ricerca locale ex-60% 2019 (PI Elena Beltramo)
• Ricerca locale ex-60% 2020 (PI Elena Beltramo)

TO2007A00674: Immortalized vascular pericyte line, methods for its establishment, for the screening of related molecules and its potential uses. Massimo Porta, Elena Beltramo, Elena Berrone, Stefano Buttiglieri, Sonia Tarallo (Dept Internal Medicine – now Medical Sciences– University of Torino)