U of M researchers awarded $2.2M grant to study causes of age-related blindness

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A University of Minnesota Medical School research team has landed a multi-year grant to dig deeper into the causes of retinal diseases and develop new treatments.

U of M grant for retinal disease study

What we know:

The National Eye Institute awarded the university team a four-year, $2.2 million grant to focus on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and a rare condition called Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy/Malattia Leventinese (DHRD/ML).

As part of the increased funding, a press release says the team is working to test FDA-approved drugs that could help reduce AMD symptoms, while looking into how the retina’s extracellular matrix proteins play a role in the diseases.

Why you should care:

A press release says that researchers hope their work will lead to better treatments and a deeper understanding of how the body controls the production and elimination of the key proteins that potentially cause the diseases.

Retinal diseases like AMD are a leading cause of vision loss, especially as people age.

Officials say the research team is particularly interested in a protein called fibulin-3, which is found outside of cells in the retina. Changes in fibulin-3 have been linked to several blinding eye diseases.

What they're saying:

"This project will positively impact our knowledge of an important protein that resides outside of cells, called an extracellular matrix protein. Alterations in one particular extracellular matrix protein, called fibulin-3, causes a number of blinding eye diseases," said John Hulleman, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences in a statement accompanying the announcement. "Our research aims to develop additional tools to better understand fibulin-3 and provide potential therapeutics to prevent eye diseases associated with this protein."

What's next:

A press release states the study is underway, and the team remains hopeful the work will lead to breakthroughs in preventing or treating vision loss.

The Source: Information provided in a University of Minnesota Medical School press release.