Energy Supply In Glaucoma: One Cell's Trash Is Another Cell's Treasure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,712.00
Summary
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and affects 65 million people worldwide, yet its underlying cause is not well understood. The work described in this research aims to understand the role of oligodendrocytes in provision of energy to retinal ganglion cell axons, and whether impaired energy supply in retinal ganglion cell axons and the optic nerve will lead to glaucoma. It is expected to provide new insight into glaucoma and potentially lead to new treatments.
Optic Nerve Head Structure And Genetic/environmental Associations: A Population-based SD-OCT Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,891.00
Summary
My research project combines two powerful new technologies, spectral domain-optical coherence tomography and the genome-wide association study, to investigate the physical and genetic characteristics of the optic nerve head in humans. Results from this work will help identify new glaucoma risk genes, increasing sensitivity and specificity for predicting glaucoma and expand our understanding of the disease mechanism allowing for the development of new treatments.
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.
OXPHOS Upregulation To Preserve Vision In Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,874.00
Summary
Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a devastating blinding disease that preferentially affects young men. Sufferers have normal vision until teenage years or their twenties when a rapid loss of vision occurs that results in permanent blindness. It is caused by genetic changes in the mitochondrial DNA that we inherit from our mothers. The mitochondria are the cells' energy generators. We aim to use molecules similar to female hormones to boost energy as a new treatment to preserve visio ....Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a devastating blinding disease that preferentially affects young men. Sufferers have normal vision until teenage years or their twenties when a rapid loss of vision occurs that results in permanent blindness. It is caused by genetic changes in the mitochondrial DNA that we inherit from our mothers. The mitochondria are the cells' energy generators. We aim to use molecules similar to female hormones to boost energy as a new treatment to preserve vision in at-risk LHON individuals.Read moreRead less
Oxidative Phosphorylation Regulation And Neuroprotection In Optic Neuropathies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,231.00
Summary
We have shown clear differences in the mitochodria, cellular organelles that generate energy, between optic atrophy patients who have good vision and those of patients who have poor vision. We believe that these changes represent a compensation mechanisms that preserves mitochondrial energy production and protects optic nerve cells. This study will characterize these differences further with the aim of identfying new treatments for preventing nerve loss and preserving vision.
Modelling Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$628,416.00
Summary
Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a blinding disease that affects young males and is caused by the death of cells in the optic nerve. To better understand LHON, this project utilises induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for disease modelling. iPS cells will be generated from patients and turned into optic nerve cells, allowing us to study the diseased cells in the laboratory, providing a platform to screen for novel drugs to improve treatment options and fast-track drug development.
Investigating Trans-synaptic Degeneration In The Human Visual Pathway
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$79,514.00
Summary
This research project investigates the spread of neuronal damage along the visual pathway from the retina to higher order areas including the visual cortex and inter-hemispheric tracts. This trans-synaptic degeneration will be examined in Leber's optic atrophy, optic neuritis and glaucoma.
High Penetrance Deleterious Mutations In Blinding Glaucoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,345,055.00
Summary
This project aims to identify the genes most commonly mutated in individuals with advanced glaucoma. Identification of such genes will lead to improved understanding of glaucoma pathogenesis, a better ability to predict risk, and the identification of drug targets for novel therapies.
Functional Analysis Of Recently Identified Novel Glaucoma Genes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$519,918.00
Summary
Glaucoma is the commonest cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Recently, through genetic studies in cohorts of blinding glaucoma cases from Australia, our group has found that variants in two genes increase the risk of blinding glaucoma. This project will investigate how these genes contribute to pathological changes in the optic nerve and retina, at the back of the eye, that lead to glaucoma. This knowledge will be useful for developing new strategies to treat glaucoma.
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.