Targeting NAD metabolism for neuroprotection in age-related ophthalmic and neurodegenerative disease

2.2 billion people live with visual impairment and blindness worldwide.

Only ~50% of these cases are directly preventable which highlights the need to further develop and advance treatments for ophthalmic diseases.

Even within nations with developed and accessible healthcare systems visual impairments are prevalent; especially from ocular neurodegenerations which are compounded by an ever-increasing aged global population.

There is a pressing need to address these diseases and to develop new diagnostic techniques and new therapeutic avenues.The goal of this VR research program is to develop clinically translatable neuroprotective strategies for glaucoma and other age-related ophthalmic neurodegenerative diseases by focusing on NAD metabolism.

My team will use –omics technologies, super-resolution imaging, animal and human clinical samples, and novel pharmacology to develop clinically translational neuroprotective strategies.Specifically, this program will:Target NAD-metabolism to develop new long-term neuroprotective strategies based on gene therapy and small molecule pharmacology, and,Test their specificity utilizing mammalian and nematode genetics,Assess metabolic disruption in glaucoma patient samples and in treated patients to identify additional routes to neuroprotection.The combination of these themes will identify the molecular underpinnings of neurodegeneration in glaucoma and lead to novel therapeutic strategies for age-related ophthalmic neurodegenerative disease.