Dr. Syed Adeel Zaidi from Augusta University awarded $90,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for Research on Ornithine Decarboxylase 1 (ODC1) and its Relationship with ROP

Dr. Syed Adeel Zaidi from Augusta University, Vascular Biology Center located in Augusta, Georgia was awarded a $90,000 grant entitled: Targeting the ornithine decarboxylase 1/polyamine pathway to limit pathological neovascularization in ROP.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is among the most common illnesses that affect premature or low birthweight infants and is a major cause of long-term vision impairment and blindness. ROP is a disease that damages the vascular and neuronal parts of the retina and makes them go blind. The current clinical standard of care provides some relief. However, many children have a loss of vision even after these therapies. Dr. Zaidi seeks to develop a novel therapy to limit neuronal and vascular damage in ROP patients.

During pathologies, our body starts making specific metabolites in excess that cause more harm than benefit. Dr. Zaidi has discovered a previously unrecognized enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase 1 (ODC1), that is overactivated in ROP and causes toxic levels of polyamines in the retina. He will use an ODC1 inhibitor, α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, commercially known as Eflornithine). This drug is FDA approved for Alzheimer’s and other diseases. He will use this drug in a mice model of ROP and test whether it helps rescue the neurovascular injury and let mice see well. Based on this study, he can repurpose this approved medicine for a clinical trial in ROP infants. He hopes this medicine will help the infants recover from such a blinding disease and let them see well again.