Sankara Nethralaya

Education & Training

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Past experience in Successful Handling of Large Projects supported by Funding

Chennai Glaucoma Study

Glaucoma is a potentially blinding disease that affects 66 million persons worldwide. It is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Public health planning to develop strategies for early diagnosis and treatment of this disease in the population requires data on the prevalence, distribution and pattern of the disease. Existing data from India suggest that Indians have a different pattern of disease. Recent genetic studies from the West indicate that glaucome has a hereditary component with specific genes identified from the affected persons. There is a paucity of such data from India. If such data were available it would be possible to identify persons at risk of developing the disease. The Chennai Glaucoma study is a population-based study, designed with a view to gather information on the prevalance of glaucome in rural and urban South India. The study, funded by Chennai Willingdon Corporate Foundation, commenced on 2nd Nov 2000. Clinical work on the rural component started on 15th June 2001. 7785 persons, above 40 years of age, from rural Tamil Nadu and Chennai city were examined at a special facility created at Sankara Nethralaya. The project was successfully completed by February 2004.

Disbetic Retinopathy project

Part funded by Lions International Foundation, the Diabetic Retinopathy project is a major apidemiological study being undertaken by Sankara Nethralaya. Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. In India, it is the 6th major cause of blindness in the population. The number od diabetics in India is expected to increase from 18 million in 1995 to 54 million in 2025. Understanding the gravity of the problem, Sankara Nethralaya has launched this initiative which will include Prevention of Blindness by increasing awareness amongst the population as the key goal. So far over 24000 people have been screened. 10 Original papers hav ebeen published so far.

Collaborative Research

Collaborative Research would be conducted in the Research Center in conjunction with renowned institutes from India and aborad. Research would cover the entire gamut of ophthalmic science.

INDO-US Partnership

A meeting of researchers from India and the United States of America took place at Sankara Nethralaya on 15 February 2005. The idea to bring researchers from the US and India together began in 2002 when individuals at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) gathered to discuss the research opportunities between the US and India. The goal of these programs, funded by a grant awarded in 2004 by teh National Eye Institute, is the development of research, plan for collaborative projects incorporating methods for identifying fiscal, scientific and intellectual resources in the US and India that promote collaboration and identifying research areas where there is a need.

Further to this meeting, about 23 projects have moved forward and are under active discussion. These projects cover almost the entire gamut of Ophthalmic Science, Disease and Research. The projects include: Interaction between Age Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy, Genetics of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Pseudoexfoliation, Genetics of Diabetic Retinopathy, Corneal Stem Cell with Nanoparticle entry into stem cell, Amniotic Membrane Transplantation for Corneal Ulcer.

All projects in the collaborative studies with the United States are likely to be funded by a research grant from the US. WE NEED TO CREATE THE REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE.

Overseas Collaborative Projects

1. Nucleic acid based methods (including ribotying) for direct species level detection of bacterial geneom(s) and ribotyping of bacterial isolates from eyelid / lash swabs of Blepharitis patients. (Alcom Laboratories Inc., USA)
2. In-Vitreo studies on the applications of Mebiol gel in cultivation of cells from eye tissues and growth of viruses in these cells and their susceptibility to antiviral drugs (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan)

Funded by ICMR / CSIR (INDIA)

1. Application of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii in intraocular fluids from suspected cases of choriotinitis. A3 year project funded by ICMR.
2. Prevalence of Rubella virus associated congenital cataract: detection of the virus in the lens aspirates. A 3 year project funded by ICMR.
3. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Mycobacterium genus specific genome. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium chelonae genomes in vitreous aspirate epiretinal membranes and blood of Eales' disease patients. A 3 year project funded by ICMR.
4. Novel Molecular Diagnositc for eye diseases and Low Vision enhancement devices. A 2 year project extended by 6 months funded by CSIR
5. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection and genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis in conjunctivitis. A three year project funded by ICMR.
6. Detection and Molecular characterization of Mycobacteria by Polyumerase chain reaction, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism and DNA sequencing technique from ocular and other Clinical speciments. A 3 year project funded by ICMR.
7. Molecular biological and virological study of intraocular fluids from patients with viral retinitis and choroiditis correleation with clinical features and visual outcome. A 3 year project funded by ICMR.
8. Laboratory studies done on the association of M. tuberculosis to Eales'disease
9. Viscoelastic ophthalmic Solution and method of testing its cytotoxicity in cell cultures.
10. Application of molecular techniques in bacterial and fungal endophthalmitis
11. In vitreo study of the antifungal activity of a new drug - SN-198. A project funded by Cadila Pharmaceuticals.