Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have found that DNA damage plays a key role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease causing vision loss.
This discovery, published last month in a peer-reviewed journal called Aging Cell, means that researchers can now focus on future therapies that enhance DNA repair and remove damaged cells before they cause harm.
“Our discovery, for the first time, directly connected DNA damage to the development of the disease and potentially also progression,” Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, co-corresponding author of the study, told the Business Journal.
She said DNA damage, a hallmark of aging, occurs in every tissue, so targeting it can be an “extremely powerful method” in preventing the progression of other age-related diseases.
The study was co-led by UCI and the University of Minnesota, where it originated from, and took more than two years to complete.
There is significant interest from businesses in understanding how to reverse age-related conditions, Skowronska-Krawczyk said.
News of this research comes amid a recent trend of billionaires investing in biotechnology companies focused on anti-aging research, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly backing Altos Labs and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, investing $180 million in Retro Biosciences.
“In academia, we are contributing in our own way by asking detailed questions and proposing novel approaches, often patenting our ideas to make them accessible for further use,” Skowronska-Krawczyk said.
“Our lab has submitted several patents so far, and we are actively searching for ways to improve healthy aging and the quality of life for our aging patients.”
Lack of Effective Therapies
AMD is one of Skowronska-Krawczyk’s main research interests.
The disease is a common condition affecting about 20 million people in the U.S. and is also the major cause of blindness in people over 50.
There are two versions of AMD: wet and dry.
Wet AMD occurs when blood vessels grow beneath your retinas and has well-established therapies. Dry AMD, on the other hand, is when the macula, or the center of the retina, gets thinner with age.
The problem is that 90% of AMD patients have dry AMD, which currently lacks any effective remedies, according to Skowronska-Krawczyk.
They are currently investigating which cell types drive age-related changes by selectively impairing DNA mechanisms with the hopes of developing more precise therapies.
Her lab at UCI’s Center for Translational Vision Research is focused on understanding aging in the eye and is supported by the Glaucoma Research Foundation, BrightFocus Foundation and the National Eye Institute, among others.
Skowronska-Krawczyk oversees about five researchers, as well as several undergraduate students, in the lab.
UMF-Funded Research
The research started in the lab of Dr. Laura Niedernhofer, professor and director of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Biology of Aging & Metabolism.
The study received a grant of an undisclosed amount from the University of Minnesota Foundation, which supported the salary of Dr. Akilavalli Narasimhan who was the lead scientist on the project.
It also received grants from the National Institutes of Health and a donation from Cecilee Faster, who has donated to University of Minnesota in the past.