A New Eye Scan to Understand and Help Retinitis Pigmentosa
Official title: Mitigating retinitis pigmentosa based on a non-invasive rod energy-landscape biomarker
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11142437 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for a gentle way to measure eye health in people with retinitis pigmentosa, hoping to find new ways to help them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $495,426 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034309-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142437 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is most relevant for individuals living with retinitis pigmentosa, especially those experiencing vision changes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment or cure for retinitis pigmentosa may not directly benefit from this early-stage research.
What this research studies
Retinitis pigmentosa can lead to vision loss, and we believe problems with tiny energy factories in eye cells, called mitochondria, play a role. Currently, it's hard to check these mitochondrial issues directly in patients, so we need a new, gentle way to see what's happening. This project is developing a special eye scan, called OCT, to look at a specific part of the eye called the inner segment ellipsoid zone (ISez). We think changes in the ISez shape, which we've seen in early animal models, can tell us about how well the mitochondria are working, potentially guiding future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide a non-invasive way to track eye health in retinitis pigmentosa and help doctors choose the best treatments for each patient.
How similar studies have gone: This approach is novel, building on promising early findings in animal models that link eye scan features to mitochondrial health.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berkowitz, Bruce a. — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Berkowitz, Bruce a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Inflammation in MERTK-related retinitis pigmentosa
This project aims to understand whether losing the MERTK gene causes retinal inflammation that leads to vision loss in people with MERTK-related retinitis pigmentosa.
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Enhancing cone survival in RP through targeted cell-specific CRISPR therapy
A patient-friendly look at a new approach to protect cone cells in retinitis pigmentosa using precise gene editing to support vision.
-
Oral, once-daily MC16 medicine for retinitis pigmentosa
A gene-mutation-agnostic pill (MC16) is being studied to help people with retinitis pigmentosa by addressing a common cellular problem in the eye.
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Role of IPM Proteoglycans in Retinal Health and Inherited Blindness
This grant studies how specific retinal extracellular matrix proteins (IMPG1 and IMPG2) affect eye health and contribute to retinitis pigmentosa, with potential implications for people who have or are at risk for inherited blindness.
-
NAC Attack: a late-stage trial for preserving vision in RP patients
A large, multi-site study is testing whether taking a daily NAC pill can help people with retinitis pigmentosa keep more of their vision.
-
Non-invasive biomarker for mitochondria health in retinitis pigmentosa
Aims to test a new, non-invasive OCT-based biomarker to explain and predict how mitochondria function affects cone cells in people with retinitis pigmentosa.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.