@article {641, title = {Reprogramming towards anabolism impedes degeneration in a preclinical model of retinitis pigmentosa.}, journal = {Hum Mol Genet}, volume = {25}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 10 01}, pages = {4244-4255}, abstract = {

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an incurable neurodegenerative condition featuring photoreceptor death that leads to blindness. Currently, there is no approved therapeutic for photoreceptor degenerative conditions like RP and atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although there are promising results in human gene therapy, RP is a genetically diverse disorder, such that gene-specific therapies would be practical in a small fraction of patients with RP. Here, we explore a non-gene-specific strategy that entails reprogramming photoreceptors towards anabolism by upregulating the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. We conditionally ablated the tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (Tsc1) gene, an mTOR inhibitor, in the rods of the Pde6bpreclinical RP mouse model and observed, functionally and morphologically, an improvement in the survival of rods and cones at early and late disease stages. These results elucidate the ability of reprogramming the metabolome to slow photoreceptor degeneration. This strategy may also be applicable to a wider range of neurodegenerative diseases, as enhancement of nutrient uptake is not gene-specific and is implicated in multiple pathologies. Enhancing anabolism promoted neuronal survival and function and could potentially benefit a number of photoreceptor and other degenerative conditions.

}, keywords = {Animals, Cell Death, Cellular Reprogramming, Cone-Rod Dystrophies, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Macular Degeneration, Metabolism, Mice, Photoreceptor Cells, Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells, Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells, Retinitis Pigmentosa, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases, Tumor Suppressor Proteins}, issn = {1460-2083}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddw256}, author = {Zhang, Lijuan and Justus, Sally and Xu, Yu and Pluchenik, Tamara and Hsu, Chun-Wei and Yang, Jin and Duong, Jimmy K and Lin, Chyuan-Sheng and Jia, Yading and Bassuk, Alexander G and Mahajan, Vinit B and Tsang, Stephen H} } @article {765, title = {Intravitreal bevacizumab for peripapillary choroidal neovascular membranes.}, journal = {Arch Ophthalmol}, volume = {130}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Aug}, pages = {1073-5}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Angiogenesis Inhibitors, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Bevacizumab, Choroidal Neovascularization, Female, Fluorescein Angiography, Humans, Intravitreal Injections, Macular Degeneration, Male, Middle Aged, Retreatment, Subretinal Fluid, Tomography, Optical Coherence, Treatment Outcome, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, Visual Acuity}, issn = {1538-3601}, doi = {10.1001/archophthalmol.2012.465}, author = {Davis, Andrew S and Folk, James C and Russell, Stephen R and Sohn, Elliott H and Sohn, Elliot H and Boldt, H Culver and Stone, Edwin M and Mahajan, Vinit B} } @article {781, title = {Automated discovery and quantification of image-based complex phenotypes: a twin study of drusen phenotypes in age-related macular degeneration.}, journal = {Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci}, volume = {52}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Nov 25}, pages = {9195-206}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Determining the relationships between phenotype and genotype of many disorders can improve clinical diagnoses, identify disease mechanisms, and enhance therapy. Most genetic disorders result from interaction of many genes that obscure the discovery of such relationships. The hypothesis for this study was that image analysis has the potential to enable formalized discovery of new visible phenotypes. It was tested in twins affected with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS: Fundus images from 43 monozygotic (MZ) and 32 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs with AMD were examined. First, soft and hard drusen were segmented. Then newly defined phenotypes were identified by using drusen distribution statistics that significantly separate MZ from DZ twins. The ACE model was used to identify the contributions of additive genetic (A), common environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) effects on drusen distribution phenotypes.

RESULTS: Four drusen distribution characteristics significantly separated MZ from DZ twin pairs. One encoded the quantity, and the remaining three encoded the spatial distribution of drusen, achieving a zygosity prediction accuracy of 76\%, 74\%, 68\%, and 68\%. Three of the four phenotypes had a 55\% to 77\% genetic effect in an AE model, and the fourth phenotype showed a nonshared environmental effect (E model).

CONCLUSIONS: Computational discovery of genetically determined features can reveal quantifiable AMD phenotypes that are genetically determined without explicitly linking them to specific genes. In addition, it can identify phenotypes that appear to result predominantly from environmental exposure. The approach is rapid and unbiased, suitable for large datasets, and can be used to reveal unknown phenotype-genotype relationships.

}, keywords = {Aged, 80 and over, Diseases in Twins, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genotype, Humans, Macular Degeneration, Male, Phenotype, Registries, Retinal Drusen, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic}, issn = {1552-5783}, doi = {10.1167/iovs.10-6793}, author = {Quellec, Gw{\'e}nol{\'e} and Russell, Stephen R and Seddon, Johanna M and Reynolds, Robyn and Scheetz, Todd and Mahajan, Vinit B and Stone, Edwin M and Abr{\`a}moff, Michael D} } @article {137, title = {Bilateral intravitreal injection of antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy.}, journal = {Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.)}, volume = {31}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Jan}, pages = {31-5}, abstract = {

The purpose of this study was to review adverse events and patient preference after bilateral intravitreal injection of antibodies to vascular endothelial growth factor.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Case-Control Studies, Drug Administration Schedule, Drug Combinations, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Incidence, Injections, Intraocular, Macular Degeneration, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction, Patient Preference, Retrospective Studies, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, Vitreous Body}, author = {Mahajan, Vinit B and Elkins, Kori A and Russell, Stephen R and Boldt, H Culver and Gehrs, Karen M and Weingeist, Thomas A and Stone, Edwin M and Abr{\`a}moff, Michael D and Liu, Dawei and Folk, James C} } @article {159, title = {Effects of vitrectomy on age-related macular degeneration.}, journal = {Ophthalmology}, volume = {117}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Jul}, pages = {1381-6}, abstract = {

To determine whether vitrectomy alters the long-term progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Case-Control Studies, Choroidal Neovascularization, Disease Progression, Epiretinal Membrane, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Geographic Atrophy, Humans, Macular Degeneration, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Retinal Perforations, Retrospective Studies, Visual Acuity, Vitrectomy}, author = {Roller, A Brock and Mahajan, Vinit B and Boldt, H Culver and Abr{\`a}moff, Michael D and Russell, Stephen R and Folk, James C} } @article {173, title = {A new macular dystrophy with anomalous vascular development, pigment spots, cystic spaces, and neovascularization.}, journal = {Archives of ophthalmology}, volume = {127}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Nov}, pages = {1449-57}, abstract = {

To clinically phenotype an inherited macular dystrophy with peculiar intraretinal pigment spots, cysts, and hemorrhage in a 24-year-old female proband and her family.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Amblyopia, Child, Child, Preschool, Cysts, Electroretinography, Female, Fluorescein Angiography, Humans, Macular Degeneration, Male, Middle Aged, Pedigree, Phenotype, Retinal Hemorrhage, Retinal Neovascularization, Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Retinal Vessels, Strabismus, Tomography, Optical Coherence, Visual Acuity, Young Adult}, author = {Mahajan, Vinit B and Russell, Stephen R and Stone, Edwin M} } @article {175, title = {Estrogen receptor alpha and matrix metalloproteinase 2 polymorphisms and age-related maculopathy in older women.}, journal = {American journal of epidemiology}, volume = {167}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 May 15}, pages = {1217-25}, abstract = {

In this study, the authors sought to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) genes are associated with age-related maculopathy (ARM) in older women. Subjects comprised a random sample of Caucasian women aged \> or =74 years participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures year 10 follow-up (n = 906) in 1997-1998. Fundus photographs were graded for ARM using a modification of the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. The prevalences of early ARM and late ARM were 46\% and 4\%, respectively. The MMP2 rs2287074 single nucleotide polymorphism (G--\>A) was associated with ARM. The A allele was present in 47\%, 43\%, and 30\% of subjects with no, early, and late ARM, respectively (p = 0.01), and was associated with lower odds of any ARM (for AG vs. GG, odds ratio = 0.80, 95\% confidence interval: 0.65, 0.99; for AA vs. GG, odds ratio = 0.64, 95\% confidence interval: 0.42, 0.98). An interaction with use of postmenopausal hormone therapy was significant (p = 0.02). The MMP2 rs2287074 A allele may be associated with a lower likelihood of ARM in older Caucasian women, particularly those who have never used hormone therapy. The role of MMP2 rs2287074 in ARM should be further elucidated.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Confounding Factors (Epidemiology), Estrogen Receptor alpha, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Linkage, Genotype, Humans, Logistic Models, Macular Degeneration, Matrix Metalloproteinase 2, Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal, Pigment Epithelium of Eye, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Severity of Illness Index}, author = {Seitzman, Robin L and Mahajan, Vinit B and Mangione, Carol and Cauley, Jane A and Ensrud, Kristine E and Stone, Katie L and Cummings, Steven R and Hochberg, Marc C and Hillier, Teresa A and Sinsheimer, Janet S and Yu, Fei and Coleman, Anne L} }