Request for Funding

Mentor: Albert O. Edwards, MD, PhD
Department: Ophthalmology
Room number: E7.239
Mail Code: 9057
Phone number: 8-9212
E-mail: Albert.Edwards@utsouthwestern.edu
Project I title: Genetics of Macular Degeneration

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 0798-296

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): NA

Project Type patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:
Ascertain families with age-related macular degeneration, perform DNA isolation, organize samples for genotyping, perform linkage analysis, interpret, present, and publish data.

A small subset of available families (3-5) will be assigned for the above project based on their potential localization to known AMD loci

Project II title: Gene-Environment Analysis in Macular Degeneration

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 0798 29600

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects): Patient-based

Brief Description of Project:

Greg will be examining the influence of statins, tobacco, and the ApoE genotype in disease outcomes in Dr. Edwards' population of 400 AMD subjects. Greg will conduct a literature review of related journal articles toward the goal of supporting our hypothesis that statins and smoking may modulate the known effect of ApoE genotypes on AMD. Greg will give a weekly presentation to the laboratory of relevant literature. He will complete collection of dat pertaining to smoking and statin data on the 400 patients and this data will be statistically analyzed (by Dr. Edwards and associates) looking for correlations between tobacco use, statins, the ApoE genotype and Age-related Macular Degeneration. The ApoE genotypes are being determined already by Dr. Edwards and associates. The ultimate goal of this project is a manuscript describing these relationships, experience in designing and executing gene-environment hypotheses and studies.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
(i) Timmy Kovoor: Case-report with manuscript being submitted next week.

(ii) Gary Chung: Chung GW, Edwards AO, Schimmenti LA, Manligas GS, Ritter R III (2001) The renal-coloboma syndrome: report of a novel PAX2 gene mutation. American Journal of Ophthalmology 132: 910-914.

(iii) Tina Scheufele: Clinical and genetic study of a family with Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy (2000). El Agha MS, Scheufele T, McCulley JP, Edwards AO. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Vol 41, Abstract No 1413.

(iv) Yuri Ishihara (pre-medical student): Edwards AO and Ishihara, Y (2000). Retinal diseases and glaucoma. In Essentials of Glaucoma, (JC Morrison and IP Pollack, Eds.), Thieme, New York

(v) Prashanthi Jagannathan (pre-medical student): Jagannathan P, Kibel LB, Edwards AO (2004). Longitudinal monitoring of drusen features using infrared reflectance imaging: analysis of drusen in the fellow eye with unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration. Association for Vision and Research in Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale Abstract No. 2986/B621.

(vi) Arthur Korotkin: Korotkin A, Jagannathan P, Edwards AO, Srebro R (2004) . Longitudinal monitoring of drusen in AMD: infrared reflectance imaging of drusen resorption induced by laser photocoagulation. Association for Vision and Research in Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale Abstract No. 3111/B746.

(vii) Colby Coulson (premedical student): Coulson CJ, Ritter R, El Agha MS, McCulley JP, Edwards AO (2002). Exclusion of the COL8A2 gene in a large dominant family wth Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy. Invest Ophth Vis Sci Abstract 1731.

Return to UT Southwestern Homepage

Return to Student Research Projects Index