Mechanisms of retrotransposon accumulation in age-related macular degeneration
Description: Dry type age-related macular degeneration is a disease that causes serious vision loss with age. We started an independent laboratory, the Laboratory of Advanced Vision Science , at the University of Tsukuba, and has demonstrated that Alu RNA accumulates in the retinal pigment epithelium of patients with dry type age-related macular degeneration through a mechanism very similar to aging. And Alu cDNA is generated by reverse transcription, inducing retinal pigment epithelial cell death. The results were reported in PNAS and Science Advanced as the first author (Fukuda S, PNAS 2021; FukudaS Sci Adv 2021).
Amount: ¥61,620,000
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Home-Returning Researcher Development Research)
Start date: 2019-04-01
End date: 2023-03-31
Investigator: Shinichi Fukuda
Institution: University of Tsukuba
Funded outputs count: 16
Funder award ID: 18K19961
OpenAlex ID: G736768733