Skip to content

Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.
The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.
Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at OPM.gov.

U. Minnesota researchers discover potential new pathway to prevent age-related macular degeneration

August 29, 2024
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Rare Diseases Retina Retinitis Pigmentosa
Basic Research
Grantee

A research team led by the University of Minnesota Medical School has identified small molecules that can reduce the production of proteins linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — the leading cause of irreversible vision loss among seniors in industrialized nations. Worldwide, AMD affects over 200 million people.

"To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a small molecule preventing AMD-like pathology in our preclinical model. In the big picture, these results provide hope that AMD may indeed be preventable, or at least modifiable by administration of a single drug," said John Hulleman, Ph.D., an associate professor and Larson Endowed Chair for Macular Degeneration Research at the U. Minnesota Medical School and corresponding author.

By using unbiased drug screening, these inhibitors — specifically targeting a cellular pathway known as GSK3 — were found to prevent AMD features in a preclinical model. The results show that blocking GSK3 at low levels changes certain proteins linked to AMD, effectively preventing the disease in living organisms.

Future research will focus on determining whether blocking GSK3 can reverse existing AMD damage, potentially leading to new treatment options.

U. Minnesota news story