Fighting Blindness With A Minimally Invasive Retinal Stimulator
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$998,194.00
Summary
Retinal degenerative conditions are the leading cause of blindness in developed nations, with over 200 million people afflicted worldwide. Our group has pioneered a minimally-invasive therapeutic stimulator that can arrest retinal degeneration without blocking vision. We are now ready to perform the prerequisite translational studies to develop and test a human-grade device. The ultimate goal is to be the first to develop a commercial therapeutic stimulator that protects against vision loss.
Retinal Ganglion Cell Bioenergetics With Clinical Translation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$725,913.00
Summary
Glaucoma is an eye disease where elevated pressure within the eye damages the sensitive nerve of sight at the back of the eye. The only current treatment is to lower the pressure in the eye with either drops, laser or surgery. Why the pressure damages the nerve of sight is unclear but there is evidence that it results in a reduced blood flow to the nerve. This starves the nerve of nutrients. We have developed a new treatment that supplies nutrients to the nerve and protects vision.
Boosting Mitochondria- A New Approach For Protecting The Aging Optic Nerve In Glaucoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,784.00
Summary
Increasing age is a major risk factor for neurodegeneration. We have recently shown that subjecting mice to intermittent periods of fasting improves mitochondrial function in the retina and reverses age-related decline in optic nerve vulnerability to injury. This project now aims to investigate key molecular pathway for restoring mitochondria and from this attempts to find more palatable therapeutic strategies for protecting the optic nerve from injury.
The Contribution Of Aberrant Wnt Signalling To Neuronal And Vascular Pathology In Retinal Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,342.00
Summary
Neuronal damage and vascular abnormalities are features shared by many retinal diseases. We will use a novel transgenic model to study the contributions of aberrant Wnt signalling in retinal neuronal and vascular pathology, and also, to test strategies for neuroprotection and inhibition of vascular abnormalities. Success in the project may identify novel therapeutic targets leading to safer and more effective treatments for retinal diseases.