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Although many patients worldwide suffer from retinal degenerations, there are currently only very few treatment options available for blinding diseases like age related macular degeneration (AMD) or Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). The diversity of the disease-inducing stimuli (endogenous and exogenous), the heterogeneity of the resulting phenotypes and the large variety of molecular response mechanisms in the retina makes it difficult to design successful therapies for patients. The main reason for this lack of effective therapies, however, may be the incomplete understanding of the molecular events leading to retinal cell death and hence to the impairment of vision.
Thus, our work in the Lab for Retinal Cell Biology at the University Hospital in Zurich focuses on the elucidation of the biochemical events and molecular signaling cascades during retinal degenerations. The goal is to understand the pathways induced by the diverse stimuli in order to develop neuroprotective strategies which may ultimately lead to the rescue of vision in patients.
The aims of our research are summarized in Figure 1. Briefly, we want to understand why photoreceptor cells die, how cell death is induced and executed and, ultimately, how cells can be protected in order to save retinal function. The development of successful neuroprotective strategies needs a detailed knowledge of the molecular events during retinal degeneration. Two signaling pathways are currently in the focus of our investigations:
We not only concentrate on the pathophysiological mechanisms in the retina but we also investigate the molecular network in the healthy retina. This knowledge is essential to provide the basis for the development of therapeutic strategies for the treatment or prevention of degenerative diseases of the retina. The specific questions in connection with the hypoxic retina are also directly relevant for the understanding of the retinal pathology in situations where neovascularization further complicates progression of retinal diseases. Many factors involved in angiogenesis or neovascularization are directly or indirectly regulated by the transcription factors of the HIF family of proteins.
With our research, we not only want to contribute to the general understanding of the retina but we also hope to identify molecules, which may be targeted by neuroprotective treatments in order to reduce or inhibit progression of degenerative diseases of the retina.
University of Zurich
Dept. Ophthalmology, Lab for Retinal Cell Biology