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Macular Degeneration Research - Completed Award

Photo Pending

Jie Jin Wang, Ph.D.

Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia

Title: Epigenetic dissection of age-related macular degeneration
Non-Technical Title: How do genes and environmental influences interact to cause macular degeneration?

Co-Investigator(s):
Alex Hewitt, M.D., Ph.D.
Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne

Duration: April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2012
Award Type: Standard
Award Amount: $96,780


Summary:

Given the development of anti-angiogenic agents, vision loss resulting from neovascular, ‘wet’, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), should be largely preventable if diagnosed early. Methylation patterns of AMD-related genes should identify subjects who are at high risk of neovascular AMD. Ultimately, this project could lead to the development of diagnostic tests and identify novel treatment pathways that modify gene expressions.

Details:

Given the development of anti-angiogenic agents, blindness resulting from neovascular AMD, should be largely preventable if diagnosed early. Identifying individuals predisposed to severe forms of this debilitating disease will, in time, help optimize the use of finite treatment resources. Methylation patterns, or characteristic patterns of chemical modifications to the DNA of AMD-related genes should identify subjects who are at high risk of neovascular AMD. Ultimately, this project will lead to the development of diagnostic tests and identify novel treatment pathways that modify gene expression.

Our research approach to investigate gene expression of AMD in a large scale genome-wide methylation study with subgroup analyses by disease severity is novel. The investigators on this study represent a strong collaboration comprising clinician-scientists, statisticians and epigeneticists whose collective expertise will ensure its successful completion.