FBC Funded Research
Every year, donors of Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) fund research taking place in hospitals and universities across Canada, and around the world. FBC and its generous supporters are currently committed to funding studies focused in three major areas of research. Below are descriptions of the research projects that FBC is currently funding.
Learn more about awards that FBC has funded in the past.
Scientific Title: Neurovascular dysfunction along the visual pathway in glaucoma: interpericyte tunneling nanotubes, a new therapeutic target for vision loss.
Lead Investigator: Dr. Luis Alarcon-Martinez
Co-Investigators: Dr. Adriana Di Polo (University of Montreal), Dr. Keith Martin (Centre for Eye Research Australia)
Institution: Centre for Eye Research Australia
Granted: $1,249,722
Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss caused by damage to the optic nerve. Dr. Alarcon-Martinez and his co-investigators will use cutting edge imaging technology to understand how disrupted blood supply causes optic nerve damage in glaucoma. This research may lead to a new understanding of the causes of glaucoma and novel treatments to prevent vision loss.
Scientific Title: Exploring the role of peroxisomes in lipid homeostasis in the retinal pigment epithelium
Lead Investigator: Dr. Matthew Benson
Institution: University of Alberta
Granted: $184,105
Dr. Benson’s project aims to understand how defects in peroxisomes lead to retinal degeneration. Peroxisomes are small structures that help cells break down fats and neutralize harmful substances. Dr. Benson will generate retinal cells with defective peroxisomes and observe how this impacts retinal cell function. The project will also test a potential therapy that could have impact for inherited eye diseases caused by peroxisomal defects (peroxisome biogenesis disorders) or other disease like age related macular degeneration.
Scientific Title: Targeting metabolic abnormalities in retinitis pigmentosa
Lead Investigator: Dr. Peter Campochiaro
Institution: Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins University
Granted: $300,000
Dr. Campochiaro is testing a a new way to deliver gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa in animal models. The goal is to develop a method that could have less side effects than current viral vectors.
Funded by Andrew and Yvette Marriott.
Scientific Title: Investigating the function of prominin-1 in photoreceptor outer segment morphogenesis and inherited blindness
Lead Investigator: Dr. Brittany Carr
Institution: University of Alberta
Granted: $200,000
Dr. Carr is investigating the localization and function of PROM1 a gene that is mutated in different forms of inherited macular dystrophy including cone-rode dystrophy. This project also aims to identify a potential gene therapy approach. Taken together these insights will lead to greater understanding of how PROM-1 causes blindness and inform future therapeutic interventions.
Scientific Title: Assessing neuroprotection in glaucoma by single retinal ganglion cell imaging
Lead Investigator: Dr. Balwantray Chauhan
Institution: Dalhousie University
Granted: $192,095
Glaucoma is a major cause of vision loss caused by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) within the optic nerve. Dr. Chauhan will use a newly developed imaging technique to visualize RGCs and improve our understanding of how they degenerate in glaucoma. The team’s goal is to find new biomarkers of glaucoma progression in order to improve the development of neuroprotective therapies.
Scientific Title: Antisense therapy for the treatment of visual loss in Usher Syndrome
Lead Investigator: Dr. Robert Koenekoop
Institution: The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Granted: $226,960
Dr. Robert Koenekoop will be starting a natural history clinical trial in Canada for individuals with Usher syndrome caused by mutations in the USH1C gene. This study is an important step in the process of bringing a new treatment to clinical trials-especially for rare diseases. It helps researchers understand more about the disease and is critical to find patients who may be eligible for any future treatment.
Scientific Title: Interrogating the Role of Chromatin Remodelling Proteins in Vision Health and Development using Mouse Models of Neurological System Diseases to Devise Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Visual Impairment
Lead Investigator: Dr. Pamela Lagali
Institution: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Granted: $220,000
This grant is a partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) worth $660,000. This grant is part of the CIHR Research, Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award program. Dr. Lagali will be using a novel model of photoreceptor degeneration to better understand retinal disease and identify new therapeutic pathways.
Scientific Title: Functional characterization of a novel resident neuroimmune cell type in the normal and glaucomatous retina
Lead Investigator: Dr. Pierre Mattar
Institution: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Granted: $200,000
Inflammation is known to contribute to the progression of many retinal degenerative diseases. Dr. Mattar has identified a new type of immune cell (double negative T cells (DNTs)) in the retina. The goal of this project is to better understand the role of DNTs in the retina and how disruption may lead to inflammation or glaucoma progression.
Scientific Title: Ophthalmic findings and Endpoint studies of Retinal degeneration in Zellweger Spectrum Disorder
Lead Investigator: Dr. Sheetal Pundir
Institution: McGill University Health Centre
Granted: $20,000
Zellweger spectrum disorder (ZSD) is caused by peroxisomal disorder and causes progressive retinal degeneration. There is little information known about how vision loss progresses. The goal of this study is to complete a natural history study to measure retinal degeneration in patients with ZSD. This information will help to provide patients with better information about their disease and may help establish clinical endpoints in future clinical trials.
Scientific Title: Characterization of sleep quality and circadian rhythms in bilateral optic neuropathies
Lead Investigator: Dr. Jovi Wong
Institution: University of Toronto
Granted: $20,000
Circadian rhythms are predictable 24-hour cycles that influence many aspects of our health including our sleep-wake cycle. The optic nerve which carries light signals to the brain also helps the brain identify the time of day. In this project Dr. Wong will study if circadian rhythms are disrupted in patients with diseases such as glaucoma that cause damage to the optic nerve.
Scientific Title: Single cell mRNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in birdshot uveitis
Lead Investigator: Dr. Kirill Zaslavsky
Institution: University of Toronto
Granted: $40,000
Birdshot uveitis is a sight-threatening immune-mediated eye disease that typically affects 40 to 60-year-old women. It is treated with immune-suppressive therapy, however, treatment response is hard to predict and it is not clear what causes the disease. Dr. Zaslavsky is using single-cell mRNA sequencing to determine which immune cells contribute to birdshot uveitis in order to gain a better understanding of the causes of this disease and establish a framework for dissecting other autoimmune retinal conditions.
Scientific Title: Investigating the function of PIKFYVE in the retinal pigment epithelium
Lead Investigator: Ehsan Misaghi
Institution: University of Alberta
Granted: $40,000
Ehsan Misaghi is enrolled in a joint MD/PhD program at the University of Alberta. His PhD focuses on the PIKFYVE gene that has recently been found to cause retinal degeneration. Ehsan will be studying the role that PIKFYVE plays in the structure and function of retinal pigment epithelial cells.
The Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) Patient Registry is a secure anonymous medical database that collects information about Canadians living with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) to connect them to research and clinical trials for emerging treatments. Founded in 2004, the registry was the first of its kind for IRDs in the world. There are currently six enrolment sites: Edmonton, Halifax, Toronto (two sites), Vancouver, and Montreal.
The FBC Patient Registry helps demonstrate there is a market for clinical trials in Canada and will ensure Canadians living with inherited retinal diseases are not left behind.
Learn more about the FBC Patient Registry.
Funded in part by the Vision Health Research Network and the Estate of Doreen Powles.
Scientific Title: Dysbiotic events and the risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Lead Investigator: Dr. Matthew Quinn
Institution: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Granted: $20,000
Changes in the microbiome can be caused by inflammation and have been linked to wet age related macular degeneration (AMD). Matthew will use population-level databases to determine if there is an association between common clinical events that disrupt the microbiome and AMD progression. This knowledge may help to develop new treatments or prevention strategies for AMD.
Scientific Title: A mutation independent pharmacological approach to treat inherited retinal degeneration.
Lead Investigator: Dr. Marius Ueffing
Institution: University of Tübingen
Granted: $426,000
Dr. Ueffing is developing a novel neuroprotective drug therapy to reduce photoreceptor death and slow vision loss in inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). This therapy has the potential to impact individuals with many different types of IRDs such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Scientific Title: Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment with or without Scleral buckle (REDOS): a factorial randomized controlled trial
Lead Investigator: Dr. Mélanie Hébert
Institution: Université Laval
Granted: $40,000
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina, the light sensing part of the eye, pulls away from the back of the eye. It is an acute, sight-threatening condition. There are two main methods to treat retinal detachment, scleral buckle and vitrectomy. Dr. Hébert is launching a randomized clinical trial to determine whether vitrectomy alone or vitrectomy with scleral buckle is better. This study aims to inform clinical practice and reduce irreversible vision loss caused by retinal detachments.
Institution: University of Toronto
Granted: $1,000,000
This award will help establish a professor position focused on the genetics of eye disease at the University of Toronto. This position will spearhead development of an Ocular Genetics Research Centre in Toronto to promote genetic testing, research and clinical trials into blinding eye diseases.
Funding provided by the Hill family.
Scientific Title: Potentials of genetic rescue in restoring visual functions of a mouse model of congenital stationary night blindness type 2A (CSNB2A)
Lead Investigator: Dr. Baohua Liu
Institution: University of Toronto, Mississauga
Granted: $200,000
Congenital stationary night blindness type 2A (CSNB2A) is an inherited retinal disease that causes vision loss from birth. This project is studying if a gene therapy can restore vision in an animal model of CSNB2A. It is also exploring if the age at which an individual is treated impacts how effective treatment is. This information could have broad implications for understanding the effective treatment window for many types of IRDs.
Scientific Title: Combined Cell and Gene Therapy Towards the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Lead Investigator: Dr. Andras Nagy
Institution: Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital
Granted: $770,000
Dr. Nagy aims to RESTORE SIGHT by developing a new therapy that combines both stem cells and gene therapy to offer patients with wet age-related macular degeneration a ‘one shot’ permanent treatment.
Support provided by the Cedric Ritchie Fund to Cure Blindness
Scientific Title: Adverse Event Outcomes and Cost Analysis of Retinal Detachment Repair Procedures in Ontario, Canada: The ASPIRE Study
Lead Investigator: Dr. Marko Popovic
Institution: University of Toronto
Granted: $50,000
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina, the light sensing part of the eye, pulls away from the back of the eye. It is an acute, sight-threatening condition. Two well-known treatments are pars plana vitrectomy and pneumatic retinopexy however the optimal treatment is unknown. This population-based, real-world evidence study will compare the safety, effectiveness and cost implications of these retinal detachment repair procedures. The project aims to inform decision-making and impact clinical practice.
Scientific Title: Designing and Testing Scleral Lenses with Customized Limbal Designs Using Novel Anterior Segment Measurement Modalities in Patients with Corneal Diseases
Lead Investigator: Dr. Sharon Qiu
Institution: University of Waterloo
Granted: $40,000
Dr. Qiu project aims to develop the next generation of scleral lenses. Scleral lenses are a common treatment for corneal diseases like keratoconus and corneal scarring. Together, corneal diseases are one of the top five causes of blindness worldwide and improved lenses could have large impact on patient outcomes and quality of life.
Scientific Title: Restoring blood-retina barrier integrity with antibody-based agonists: a potential therapy for vascular retinopathies
Lead Investigator: Dr. Sachdev Sidhu
Institution: University of Waterloo
Granted: $200,000
The blood-retinal barrier (BRB) is important for proper retinal function and can be disturbed in eye diseases like age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy leading to vision loss. Dr. Sidhu is testing a new antibody treatment aimed at restoring BRB function.
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