Dr. Biraj Mahato from Children’s Hospital LA Awarded $70,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant For Retinal Ganglion Cell Research

Dr. Biraj Mahato from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was awarded a $70,000 grant for the research entitled: Chemically reprogrammed Müller cell derived retinal ganglion cells to study and treat optic nerve hypoplasia

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the principal neuron in the retina that transmit light signal from the photoreceptors to the brain ultimately leading to the perception of vision. Loss of RGCs is a final common endpoint in many childhood blindness such as optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH). While stem cells are an intriguing tool to replace damaged retinal cells, there are many hurdles and challenges that have yet to be overcome, such as tumor growth, time and labor intensive manufacturing processes and political and ethical controversies, forcing scientists to search for alternate strategies. This proposal attempts to characterize resident tissue specific cell derived RGCs that would ultimately lead to a regenerative therapy for ONH patients.