How genes control retinal health and diabetic eye disease
Exploring Mechanisms in Retinal Development/Homeostasis, Retinal Immune Surveillance and Diabetic Retinopathy Using Forward Genetics
This project looks for gene changes that cause retinal problems and could lead to better care for people with diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159474 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view, researchers are creating thousands of random gene changes in mice to find which ones cause retinal problems. They take eye photos and OCT scans of those mice to spot abnormal retinas, and because the mice are already genotyped, they can quickly link changes to specific genes. The team uses a high-throughput, unbiased approach and large family groups of mice to increase the chance of finding new gene–disease links. The long-term aim is to turn those discoveries into new ways to prevent or treat retinal disease in people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with diabetic retinopathy, inherited retinal disorders, or those interested in contributing samples or joining future clinical studies are the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People without retinal disease or whose vision loss is due to non-genetic causes (for example trauma) are unlikely to get direct benefit from this mouse-based research right away.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new genes and pathways that point to treatments or tests to prevent or slow vision loss from diabetic retinopathy and other retinal disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Genetic screens in mice have previously identified genes linked to eye disease, but this large-scale, pre-genotyped forward genetics system is a novel and more powerful version of that approach.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ufret-Vincenty, Rafael — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Ufret-Vincenty, Rafael
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 below.