Module B. Functional Genomics and Proteomics (FGP) Core
Principal Investigator
Jeffrey Boatright, PhD
Research Scientists
Preston Girardot, BS, Biology, Research Specialist
Jana Sellers, BS, Animal Science, Research Specialist Lead/Animal Surgery
Xian Zhang, MD, Research scholar
Contact: Micah Chrenek- micah.chrenek@emory.edu
Research
The Boatright lab is testing whether physiological or pharmacological interventions that maintain cellular bioenergetics are protective in models of retinal degenerative disease, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Dr. Boatright and his colleagues are developing pharmacological and physiological therapies for treatment of retinal degenerative diseases and glaucoma. They discovered that simple physical exercise protects retinal function and vision in several rodent models of retinal degeneration (RD). They are now testing effects of stationary bicycle riding (“spinning”) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Separately, they discovered that hydrophilic bile acids and cellular metabolic precursors are protective in rodent models of retinal degeneration and glaucoma. They successfully completed a Phase I/II clinical trial of one of our lead compounds in RD patients and have initiated the Phase III study. RPB funding would be critical for further expanding translation of our benchtop findings to clinical research; almost no other resources exist for such support.
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