Foundation Fighting Blindness Funds 35 New Research Grants in FY2024, Renames Key Program to Honor Former Board Chair

Strengthening research in retinal disease with record-breaking $19.8 million investment in innovative projects targeting vision loss worldwide

COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foundation Fighting Blindness, the driving force in the global development of treatments and cures for blinding diseases, announced today that it awarded 35 new research grants totaling $19.8 million in fiscal year 2024. This investment, the largest ever for the Foundation in a single fiscal year, underscores its commitment to advancing treatments and potential cures for retinal degenerative diseases that affect millions worldwide.

The grants support a diverse portfolio of 100 research initiatives across 86 laboratories and clinical research institutions globally, driving progress in treatment approaches from gene-agnostic therapies to those targeting specific genetic causes, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, Leber congenital amaurosis, Stargardt disease, and dry age-related macular degeneration.

Within this year's funding, the Foundation has renamed the Translational Research Acceleration Program to the David Brint Translational Research Program, in honor of David Brint, who served as Foundation board chair from 2016 to 2024. Under Mr. Brint's leadership, the Foundation greatly expanded its clinical development efforts, including the 2018 launch of the RD Fund, its venture philanthropy arm. Supporting companies advancing to or in clinical trials, the RD Fund has made 16 investments and currently manages assets exceeding $120 million.

"Renaming this program honors David's relentless dedication to accelerating research and expanding the Foundation's resources to pursue treatments for retinal diseases," said Jason Menzo, chief executive officer of the Foundation. "The breadth and strength of our expanding research portfolio is a testament to the sustained commitment of our donors, volunteers, researchers, and other key stakeholders. Thanks to the passion and hard work of our community, we are poised to move more therapies into clinical trials and across the finish line."

Among the funded projects are high-impact initiatives focusing on the CRB1 and PRPH2 genes, both critical areas in retinal disease research:

• CRB1 Program Project: Led by Dr. Jeremy Kay at Duke University, this $2.5 million award supports a comprehensive, multi-species research approach to better understand CRB1-associated retinal degeneration, which manifests in conditions like Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and retinitis pigmentosa. This program is a collaborative effort across multiple research institutions and focuses on identifying the root causes of photoreceptor cell loss in CRB1-related diseases. By examining disease mechanisms across mouse, pig, and human models, the team aims to uncover therapeutic strategies to halt or slow degeneration. The project's four core components include pinpointing primary sites of cellular damage, exploring gene therapies to restore retinal structure, and developing advanced imaging biomarkers to track disease progression.

• PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases: Newly funded projects in PRPH2 research include work by Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Muayyad Al-Ubaidi at the University of Houston, Dr. Yoshikazu Imanishi at Indiana University, and Dr. Andrew Goldberg at Oakland University. Dr. Palczewski's team will employ precision genome editing to correct PRPH2 mutations in humanized mouse models, while Dr. Al-Ubaidi's research explores a "knock-down and replace" strategy to address PRPH2 mutations and prevent cellular dysfunction. Dr. Imanishi's research aims to uncover mechanisms of PRPH2-related disease and identify drugs that may improve PRPH2 protein function, while Dr. Goldberg's team is focused on developing gene therapy approaches in PRPH2 mouse models to slow disease progression.

The Foundation's rigorous review process, led by its Scientific Advisory Board of over 60 top scientists and clinicians from around the globe, ensures that each funded project has the potential to deliver transformative insights and advancements in retinal disease treatments.

The FY2024 research grants reflect the Foundation's dedication to funding promising science that may one day restore sight. For more information about the Foundation Fighting Blindness funded grants and its mission to drive research toward prevention, treatment, and cures for retinal diseases, please visit www.FightingBlindness.org/funded-grants-2024.

About the Foundation Fighting Blindness
Established in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is the world's leading private funding source for retinal degenerative disease research. The Foundation has raised more than $954 million toward its mission of accelerating research for preventing, treating, and curing blindness caused by the spectrum of blinding retinal diseases including: retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and Usher syndrome. Visit FightingBlindness.org for more information.

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SOURCE Foundation Fighting Blindness