Dr. Zhao Zhang from Baylor College of Medicine awarded Knights Templar Eye Foundation grant for "A Novel Treatment Strategy for Retinopathy of Prematurity by Targeting AIBP"

Dr. Zhao Zhang from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX was awarded his grant for the research entitled: A Novel Treatment Strategy for Retinopathy of Prematurity by Targeting AIBP

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the most common causes of visual loss in childhood and can lead to lifelong vision impairment and blindness. ROP results in disorganized growth of retinal blood vessels, the normal blood vessel growth stopped before reached the edges of the retina. Instead, new unwanted abnormal vessels begin to grow that may lead to scarring and retinal detachment. However, current treatments only target abnormal vessels and have many limitations, but cannot promote the regeneration of normal blood vessels.

Physiological restoration of blood circulation is highly desirable in ROP by restoring metabolic supply, improving retinal function, and reducing the retinal ischemia that drives the detrimental pathologic neovascularization (growth of abnormal vessels). It is therefore important to understand the molecular mechanisms that promote or impede reparative vessel growth in ROP. This work will identify a novel AIBP (the apoA-I binding protein)-dependent mechanism that inhibits the revascularization of the neuroretina after ischemia. Importantly, we propose to promote the regeneration of normal blood vessels and reduce the generation of abnormal blood vessels by neutralizing AIBP.