Dr. Tianxiao Huan 2021 grant from Worcester Foundation

A Pilot Proteomic Study to Identify New Therapeutic Targets of Age-related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of incurable central vision impairment and blindness worldwide, affecting more than 14% of Americans age 80 and older. There is an urgent need for the discovery of effective biomarkers and drug targets that prevent or delay advanced AMD.

In the awarded project, Tianxiao Huan, PhD, Assistant Professor, UMass Chan Medical School, will collaborate with Johanna Seddon, MD, ScM, Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Retina and the Macular Degeneration Center of Excellence, who has been leading epidemiologic and genetic studies of AMD, and established the AMD registry and biorepository database, which is one of the largest AMD cohorts with unique characteristics including both standardized clinical phenotype data and longitudinal prospective data. Dr. Huan’s goal is optimize methods for proteomic biomarkers and provide drug targets for AMD. Results of this project will provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis of AMD and may reveal new therapeutic targets for prevention and treatment of AMD