Knights Templar Champions Moran 研究er’s Cause to Fight Blinding Childhood Retinal Disease

An estimated 500,000 children worldwide become blind every year.

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF) is doing its part to change that statistic, offering Pediatric Ophthalmology 研究 Grants to support physicians and researchers who are beginning their academic careers. It's a key investment in the future since securing federal funding can be difficult for a new researcher, and there aren't many other eye foundations that fund solely 儿科 eye research.

"The proposals are very competitive," said Jason C. Varner, KTEF state chairman. "Our mission is to improve 愿景 through research, education, and access to care. 专注于研究, we believe we can prevent 愿景 loss first and foremost and correct conditions early. Our philosophy is that by supporting a young researcher, we can help launch their career, and as they delve into understanding the cause of genetic disease, can eventually prevent or cure blinding diseases in infants and children. This then helps generations to come."

$65,000 to Fight Joubert综合症
今年6月，约翰. 莫兰眼科中心 视网膜l researcher Ali Sharif, 博士学位, became the Knights Templar 2018 Career-Starter 研究 Grant Awardee. Seven Knights Templars visited Moran to present Sharif with $65,000 to continue his research into Joubert syndrome, a devastating inherited disease affecting one in 100,000 newborns nationally.

Working in the lab of Moran's world-renowned 视网膜l researcher Wolfgang B. Baehr, 博士学位, Sharif is investigating the road to understanding Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) in the gene INPP5E-Joubert syndrome.

"There is no cure for Joubert syndrome,谢里夫说。. It's a genetic disorder that affects multiple organs very early in childhood, within the first 3 years of life."

From Left to Right: Moran Director of 研究 Wolfgang B. Baehr, 博士学位; Reed B. 范宁; Jason C. Varner; 朗Tibbits; Charles E. Warren; Lawrence R. ‘Gunny' Rodriguez; Jay N. Mitchell; Ali Sharif, 博士学位.

需要注意什么
Symptoms of Joubert syndrome can be detected immediately in newborns: parents will notice abnormal breathing patterns, very low muscle tone resulting in floppy and delayed bodily movements, twitching eyes and tongue, and the infant may have additional fingers and/or toes.

"A brain scan will confirm Joubert syndrome by showing an abnormal structure in the shape of a molar tooth, which is not supposed to be there,谢里夫解释道。. "This presence of this tissue confirms Joubert disease. 三岁, the child develops retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an incurable 视网膜l disease that leads to progressive 愿景 loss. "

对未来的希望
The main cause of Joubert syndrome is due to mutations in a gene called INPP5E. 不幸的是, there is very little known about how INPP5E works, so it is critical to determine the role of INPP5E in photoreceptors in the eye.

"We are the first lab to generate a model that matches the human phenotype of Joubert disease. So, we hope to prevent the progression of RP and to develop a cure by gene replacement therapy,谢里夫说。.

朗Tibbits, Grand Master of the Utah Freemasons expressed his personal appreciation for Moran: "A family member developed type I diabetes, 结果就是, has terrible retinopathy. So, I'm a huge fan of Moran and excited to be here today to support the great work you are doing that is so critical to the future of eye care."

关于KTEF
The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, 成立于1956年, is a charity sponsored by the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar.

They support clinical or basic research on conditions that can or may eventually be treated or prevented, 比如弱视, 先天性白内障, 先天性青光眼, retinopathy of prematurity, 眼部畸形, 先天性眼球震颤, and other hereditary eye diseases such as 视网膜l dystrophies and retinoblastoma.

到目前为止, the KTEF has expended over $148 million on research, 病人护理, and education and has awarded over $24 million research grants to those working in the fields of 儿科 ophthalmology and ophthalmic genetics.