UMass Researchers Win BrightFocus Grant

Dr. Haijiang Lin and Dr. Bo Tian have been awarded a competitive grant from BrightFocus (https://www.brightfocus.org), a prestigious research foundation. As part of this grant, investigators will study the molecular mechanism of the progression of age related macular degeneration (AMD).

They have found that the sick retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells can secrete factors that make the neighboring healthy RPE cells dysfunctional and promote the progression of age related macular degeneration. This grant will support them to identify these factors. Furthermore, they will explore novel gene therapy strategies for age related macular degeneration.

Dr. Lin’s and Dr. Tian’s research team has focused on studying AMD for more than ten years. Dr. Lin is the first to demonstrate the function of microRNA in the development of AMD, and was one of the pioneers who found that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage is associated with AMD. Currently, Dr. Hongtao Dong and his team are continuing to investigate the dysfunction of mitochondria in AMD. More excitingly, this team is collaborating with Dr. Guangping Gao, an internationally recognized gene therapist to explore gene therapy strategies to treat AMD. Dr. Wenqi Su is studying a non-viral approach to deliver genes into the retina.

Dr. Schaal, the chair of the Ophthalmology department, and Dr. Lin are working on a clinical trial project to study the association of gene mutation in the progression of AMD. Dr. Omar Helmy and Samuel Leeman are coordinating this trial at the Hahnemann Eye Center.