2007 Press Releases
UCC Academic Awarded €1.65m for eye disease research
20.09.2007
Professor Tom Cotter of UCC’s Biochemistry Department has been awarded €1.65m for research into eye disease.
20.09.2007
Professor Tom Cotter of UCC’s Biochemistry Department has been awarded €1.65m for research into eye disease.
The award of €1.65m comprises €1.25m from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) plus an additional €400,000 from Enterprise Ireland to fund the development of a series of molecules that have drug like qualities and that may assist in the treatment of eye diseases that lead to blindness.
According to Professor Cotter: "As many as 60,000 Irish adults and children are affected by degenerative diseases of the eye, part of a world total of 40 million. Not all of them are blind today, but they know that their vision can only get worse, not better. The end result in many cases is complete blindness. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for research to both understand the underlying causes of blindness and the development of new treatments."
The two awards build on recent work carried out by Professor Cotter's laboratory. The research, supported by the charity, Fighting Blindness Ireland, has identified key events in how cells in the retina responsible for the detection of light, die. Professor Cotter explained: "Once these light detecting cells die (they do so by a cell suicide process), the body has no way of replacing them so it is vitally important from a treatment perspective, that they are prevented from dying in the first place. Thus, by exploring and understanding the mechanism by which such cells die it may be possible to prevent their destruction, and as a consequence save sight. The loss of one of our 5 senses while not life threatening per se does have drastic consequences on the quality of life of affected person." Professor Cotter said the funding will also allow the continued collaboration between laboratories in Cork, Dublin and Barcelona."
The diseases targeted include retinitisis pigmentosa, a genetic disease that leads to blindness in young adults, and where there is no current therapy. Glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (AMD) are related diseases and they largely affect people in the 50yrs + category. AMD is the most common form of registered blindness in this country; it is thought to affect one in ten people over 50. Key symptoms are a blurring of central vision and straight lines appearing wavy. Everyday activities such as driving, watching TV, recognising friends can become impossible over time.
Professor Cotter who was educated in Cork and Oxford Universities currently holds the Chair of Biochemistry in UCC and leads a 15 member research team of scientists.
Picture: Professor Tom Cotter
522MMcS
According to Professor Cotter: "As many as 60,000 Irish adults and children are affected by degenerative diseases of the eye, part of a world total of 40 million. Not all of them are blind today, but they know that their vision can only get worse, not better. The end result in many cases is complete blindness. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for research to both understand the underlying causes of blindness and the development of new treatments."
The two awards build on recent work carried out by Professor Cotter's laboratory. The research, supported by the charity, Fighting Blindness Ireland, has identified key events in how cells in the retina responsible for the detection of light, die. Professor Cotter explained: "Once these light detecting cells die (they do so by a cell suicide process), the body has no way of replacing them so it is vitally important from a treatment perspective, that they are prevented from dying in the first place. Thus, by exploring and understanding the mechanism by which such cells die it may be possible to prevent their destruction, and as a consequence save sight. The loss of one of our 5 senses while not life threatening per se does have drastic consequences on the quality of life of affected person." Professor Cotter said the funding will also allow the continued collaboration between laboratories in Cork, Dublin and Barcelona."
The diseases targeted include retinitisis pigmentosa, a genetic disease that leads to blindness in young adults, and where there is no current therapy. Glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (AMD) are related diseases and they largely affect people in the 50yrs + category. AMD is the most common form of registered blindness in this country; it is thought to affect one in ten people over 50. Key symptoms are a blurring of central vision and straight lines appearing wavy. Everyday activities such as driving, watching TV, recognising friends can become impossible over time.
Professor Cotter who was educated in Cork and Oxford Universities currently holds the Chair of Biochemistry in UCC and leads a 15 member research team of scientists.
Picture: Professor Tom Cotter
522MMcS