NIH R01 · 2025
Cytosolic SINE retrotransposable element cDNA and mitochondrial DNA in aging retina
PROJECT SUMMARY The retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) is an amitotic, long-lived cell type that supports healthy visual function for numerous decades. The aging retina displays pathologic features that are exaggerated in a complex disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Progressive degeneration of the aging RPE is a hallmark of geographic atrophy, a late-stage of AMD that causes vision loss. We recently discovered an excess abundance of cytosolic complementary DNA derived from the SINE retrotransposon element (RTE) Alu family in the RPE of human eyes with geographic atrophy and that cytosolic Alu cDNAs are highly cytotoxic to the RPE in animal and human cell-based studies.…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.