Eversight, a global nonprofit network of eye banks, has awarded Eye and Vision Research grants totaling $55,000 to three scientists of the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Linda Hazlett, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Berger, Ph.D.; and Shunbin Xu, M.D., Ph.D., received grants from Eversight for projects that aligned with the organization's mission to restore sight and prevent blindness. The awards were determined by an independent review panel composed of distinguished scientists, ophthalmologists and health services researchers.
Dr. Hazlett, a distinguished professor, chair of Anatomy and Cell Biology and interim vice dean of Research and Graduate Programs, will test the hypothesis that glycyrrhizin, which is extracted from licorice root and possesses numerous pharmacological effects, can improve antibiotic effectiveness against multi-drug resistant corneal infections.
Resistance to antibiotics has increasingly become problematic, attributed to the overuse and misuse of such medications. The lack of new drugs to challenge these so-called superbugs exacerbates the problems.
Dr. Hazlett's application explores alternative approaches to handling corneal bacterial infections, and could provide important novel methods for treating multi-drug resistant ocular bacterial infections, and perhaps infections in the lungs and other tissue sites.
Dr. Berger, an assistant professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology with a joint appointment in Ophthalmology, is investigating a protein -- thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) -- that can be used in tandem with ciprofloxacin to more effectively treat bacterial keratitis.
This serious infection of the cornea can cause blindness if left untreated and is often associated with contact lens usage. Dr. Berger's goal is to understand how Tβ4 promotes resolution of inflammation and determine its clinical applicability as an adjunct therapy against multiple pathogens known to cause bacterial keratitis.
Dr. Xu, an associate professor of Ophthalmology jointly appointed in Anatomy and Cell Biology, is investigating inherited retinal diseases, which affect more than 200,000 Americans and millions more worldwide.
Dr. Xu's research team is examining micro-ribonucleic acids, or miRNAs, that can play important roles in diseases when they are defective.
The roles of miRNAs in retinal degenerative diseases is still largely unknown. Dr. Xu's study will take an important step forward in the identification of genes responsible for inherited retinal diseases. Identifying the genes is of great importance to the basic understanding of retinal biology and the development of new gene diagnoses and therapies.
The Eye and Vision Research Grant program has awarded more than $3.5 million since 1980 to stimulate new and pioneering research. Several of these grant projects have led to larger studies and financial support from the National Institutes of Health.
"There's a real void when it comes to funding the initial investigative work that can launch new and groundbreaking discoveries," said Gregory Grossman, Ph.D., Eversight director of Research. "But Eversight is committed to supporting research that may potentially lead to innovative therapies and treatments."
The Eversight Center for Eye and Vision Research is one of the only eye bank-led programs focused on providing scientists with innovative resources they need to find new cures and treatments for blinding eye conditions. For more information, visit eversightvision.org/research.