Oral antioxidant D‑DHA to protect retinal pigment cells in age-related macular degeneration
Development of Two Novel AMD Models for Evaluation of RPE Protection by the Novel Antioxidant D-DHA
This project is seeing if an oral antioxidant called D‑DHA can protect the retinal pigment cells damaged in people with geographic atrophy, the advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11309120 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient viewpoint, researchers will create two new mouse models that mimic the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) oxidative stress that leads to geographic atrophy. They will give some mice oral D‑DHA and compare outcomes to untreated mice. Retinal changes will be tracked with live imaging (cSLO and OCT) and electrical testing (ERG), and tissues will be examined after euthanasia using mass spectrometry, histology, immunohistochemistry, and qPCR. The goal is to see whether D‑DHA can prevent or slow the RPE damage that drives GA and to produce models useful for testing other treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with geographic atrophy (advanced dry age-related macular degeneration) or those at high risk for GA would be the likely candidates for a future therapy like D‑DHA.
Not a fit: People with neovascular (wet) AMD or those who already have severe central vision loss are unlikely to benefit from this preventative approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to an oral therapy that slows or prevents geographic atrophy and helps preserve vision in people with dry AMD.
How similar studies have performed: D‑DHA has shown protection in acute animal models of retinal oxidative injury, while anti‑complement drugs have modestly slowed GA in humans, but using D‑DHA to prevent or slow GA in patients is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dunaief, Joshua L — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Dunaief, Joshua L
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.