Jiaxing "Wayne" Wang, MD, will lead the two-year research initiative
Wang's proposal, Genetic Mutation Enhance Optic Nerve Regeneration in BXD29 Mouse Strain
outlines his plan to identify the gene mutation that has allowed some test subjects to regenerate damaged or destroyed optic nerves.
Damaged optic nerves lead to blindness in many diseases, such as glaucoma,
said Wang, who joined the Emory Eye Center's research team six years ago, after a successful career as an ophthalmologist in his native China. He currently collaborates as an assistant research scientist in Eldon Geisert's lab.
If we can develop a gene therapy that will promote the regeneration of optic nerves, we could have a way to treat or prevent vision loss.
Promoting optic nerve regeneration is a promising therapy for treating vision loss in glaucoma,
said Dr. Preeti Subramanian, director of Science Programs, Vision Science at the BrightFocus Foundation.
We at BrightFocus are excited to be supporting Dr. Wang's innovative research to identify genes that can promote this regeneration.
Wang is a part of a research team that has been using a particular strain sets of mice - BXD - to learn about the regeneration process. In previous work, the team found that subjects with a slight genetic mutation - BXD29-Tlr4lps-2J/J - had an enhanced capability to regenerate damaged optic nerves. More information is needed to formulate an actionable gene therapy regimen, however.
The overall goal of this proposal is to define the specific genetic mutation responsible for improved axon regeneration,
he said. We have identified all variants between the two strains [BXD29/Ty and BXD29-Tlr4lps-2J/J ] so we are in a good position to map the location of the mutation that governs axon regeneration.
Wang will cross-breed mice so that he can track and compare the genetic contributions each makes to the phenotypes of the resulting generations. This testing will allow him to eventually map the location of the beneficial mutation - a first step in establishing a clinical response.
This is exciting work that, to be honest, we had to be doing,
said Wang. We are incredibly thankful to the BrightFocus Foundation for giving us the freedom to advance this research.
-Kathleen E. Moore