# Cholesterol Removal as a  Treatment for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

> **NIH NIH R43** · MOBIUS SCIENTIFIC INC. · 2024 · $276,758

## Abstract

Abstract
 The leading cause of blindness in people over 50 in industrialized nations including the United
States is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Early AMD is characterized by cholesterol
accumulation under the neurosensory retina called sub-retinal drusenoid deposits or under the retinal
pigment epithelium called drusen. Vision loss occurs in advanced AMD, with “wet” AMD comprising
20% of cases driven by angiogenesis, or from “dry” AMD (80% of cases) driven by cholesterol
accumulation and accompanying cell death (geographic atrophy). Mobius has an expert team in
cholesterol biology, lipid transport in the eye, lipoprotein nanoparticle (nanodisc) production, and
human therapeutics to tackle cholesterol removal from the eye. The Phase 1 goal is to demonstrate
the feasibility of optimized nanodisc technology to facilitate cholesterol removal, and demonstrate
therapeutic potential to treat cholesterol accumulation to treat dry AMD. The aims of Phase 1 will be
to initially design the optimal prototype nanodisc for cholesterol removal, and then test that prototype
in cells and pre-clinical models of relevance in AMD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10821836
- **Project number:** 1R43EY035876-01
- **Recipient organization:** MOBIUS SCIENTIFIC INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Nehal N Mehta
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $276,758
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10821836

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10821836, Cholesterol Removal as a  Treatment for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (1R43EY035876-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10821836. Licensed CC0.

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