Michael Grassi, MD

University of Chicago

Project: Collaborative effort to facilitate the discovery and testing of effective compounds to treat retinal degenerative disease.
Summary: Dr. Grassi has developed a multidisciplinary, inter-institutional collaboration between basic scientists and clinicians in Chicago to investigate the mechanisms that may result in apoptotic photoreceptor death in RP.  Using a cellular model of RP, the research team will screen hundreds of thousands of small molecules to identify those compounds and genes that retard or prevent apoptosis.   In addition, the cell culture system will enable a genome scale screen using RNA interference to assess the role of over 25,000 individual genetic perturbations in photoreceptor cell survival.  Results from the screenings will be extended to animal models, which will enable the development and introduction of new therapies to better treat, and perhaps even prevent RP.