NIH R01 · 2024
Pharmacological studies of rhodopsin metabolism
Summary: Genetic mutations of the dim-light visual pigment, rhodopsin (Rho), cause retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and no effective pharmacological treatment is available for this inherited retinal degeneration. Our long-term goal is to determine the molecular events that contribute to photoreceptor death in RP and develop effective small molecule drugs targeting these events that preserve the retinal structure and visual function. Rho protein misfolding causes rod cell death in RP. Our central hypothesis is: small molecules that stabilize Rho structure, or those induce degradation of misfolded Rho can mitigate Rho-associated adRP. We recently discovered two novel and potent lead compounds: 1)…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.