# Molecular Studies of the Choriocapillaris in AMD

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2022 · $386,250

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of severe vision loss. Recent studies have
shown that a layer of capillaries called the choriocapillaris is affected in AMD, both in “dry” AMD in
which the blood vessels degenerate, depriving the retina of nourishment, and in “wet” AMD in which
the cells become activated to grow abnormally, damaging the retina. To a large extent the biochemical
changes in the choriocapillaris that accompany AMD are poorly understood. In this proposal we will
study how a gene that is affected by the complement system and is enriched in AMD cells contributes to
the processes associated with the choriocapillaris in AMD. We will also utilize a new technology (single
cell RNA-sequencing) to discover the molecular signatures of endothelial cells from the choroid at the
single cell level of resolution in health and different forms of AMD. A better understanding of how these
cells are altered in disease will provide insight into how to protect them from damage and death.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10338267
- **Project number:** 1R01EY033308-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert Foster Mullins
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $386,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-01 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10338267

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10338267, Molecular Studies of the Choriocapillaris in AMD (1R01EY033308-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10338267. Licensed CC0.

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