Soft drusen in rhesus macaques as a nonhuman primate model of early age-related macular degeneration
Description: PROJECT NARRATIVE Drusen are the hallmark feature of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but their pathogenesis remains elusive due to the lack of good animal models. Nonhuman primates (NHP) are the only mammals to possess a true macula similar to humans and spontaneously develop soft drusen with lipid accumulation resembling human AMD. This study will establish an NHP model of soft drusen with detailed ophthalmic, metabolic, and genetic characterization, determine the impact of high-fat/sugar (HFS) diet and atorvastatin on drusen progression, and explore the gene expression of macular retinal pigment epithelial cells in eyes with and without drusen, HFS diet, and statins.
Funder: National Eye Institute
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: R01
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2026-12-31
Investigator: GLENN YIU
Institution: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
Funded outputs count: 37
Funder award ID: R01EY032238
OpenAlex ID: G9000862782