How diet and aging affect eye cell health and vision
Official title: The role of diet and aging in photoreceptor homeostasis and visual function decline
Funded at Buck Institute for Research on Aging · NIH-11365097 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aging and diet may shape how our eye cells stay healthy and keep people seeing clearly as they age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Buck Institute for Research on Aging NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Novato, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $745,418 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG071995-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365097 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults at risk for age-related eye disorders who could participate in future clinical translation or be represented by data samples
✕Less likely to help
Very young individuals or those without risk of age-related eye disease may not directly benefit from these findings
What this research studies
This project explores how dietary restriction and aging influence the clock-like systems inside eye cells and how that impacts photoreceptor health and vision over time. Researchers will study molecular changes in the retina to understand how limited calorie intake might slow age-related vision decline. The work uses animal and cellular models to map clock genes and pathways that protect photoreceptors from damage, with the aim of identifying targets to preserve sight in aging populations. The findings could point to dietary or molecular strategies to maintain visual function as people get older.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new ways to slow age-related vision loss and protect daily activities that rely on good sight.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that circadian clocks influence eye health and aging can modify vision, with dietary factors potentially offering protective effects
Where this research is happening
-
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kapahi, Pankaj — Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Study coordinator: Kapahi, Pankaj
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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.