How the eye's light-sensing enzyme PDE6 is controlled
Official title: Photoreceptor Phosphodiesterase Regulation
Funded at University of New Hampshire · NIH-11128802 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how the enzyme PDE6 controls rod and cone cells to help people with inherited retinal diseases get clearer diagnoses and future therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New Hampshire NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $317,938 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY033403-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11128802 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with inherited retinal diseases or those whose genetic testing shows variants in PDE6 genes (for example retinitis pigmentosa, cone dystrophy, or congenital stationary night blindness) would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People whose vision loss is caused by non-genetic issues or by genes unrelated to PDE6 are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project focuses on PDE6, a key enzyme that sets the speed and sensitivity of rod and cone photoreceptors in the eye. The team will combine information from genetic sequencing with laboratory experiments to see how different mutations change PDE6's behavior. They will map how PDE6 binds partner proteins and how those interactions turn the enzyme on and off during the light response. Understanding these molecular events aims to explain how specific inherited mutations lead to retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and cone dystrophy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve interpretation of genetic test results and highlight new targets for treatments of inherited retinal disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Genetic links between PDE6 mutations and retinal disease are established, but detailed molecular mapping of PDE6's dynamic interactions and allosteric regulation is relatively novel and still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
University of New Hampshire
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cote, Rick H — University of New Hampshire
- Study coordinator: Cote, Rick H
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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.