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Understanding Age-related Macular Degeneration

Date Posted: Monday, January 06, 2025

Dr. Claudio Punzo, PhD, from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School spoke about the role photoreceptors play in Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Dr. Punzo found metabolic adaptations in photoreceptor cells of human AMD patients. To understand what these adaptations do, he created a mouse model that mimics these changes. The mice develop AMD-like pathologies similar to the ones seen in humans. To further study the underlying disease mechanism Dr. Punzo used his mouse model to identify how disease can be prevented in his mouse model. He found a gene that when downregulated prevents disease progression. To test if this is a potential therapeutic candidate Dr. Punzo developed a siRNA approach for the gene and treated aged rhesus macaques that had drusen. He found that drusen number and size was reduced suggesting that the right mechanism has been identified. This new therapy could help prevent disease progression in patients with AMD.

Vision Seminar Series Monthly Flyer Jan 16 2025.pdf