Alexander Sumaroka, Ph.D.

Scheie Eye Institute, Univ of Pennsylvania

Project:  Retinal Mapping For Targeting Treatment in Retinitis Pigmentosa
Summary: Inherited retinal degenerations in the family of diseases known as retinitis pigmentosa will be studied with optical coherence tomography, mainly to inquire about the integrity of the photoreceptor layer. Structural abnormalities of the inner retina, suggesting the process of retinal remodeling, will also be defined. The present work will use state-of the-art high-resolution instrumentation. Mapping of the photoreceptor layer has already been used in the University of Pennsylvania gene therapy clinical trial to target appropriate retinal regions for treatment and this approach has proven valuable.