# Cholesterol homeostasis in the vertebrate retina

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2024 · $20,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT:
All eukaryotic cells require cholesterol (Chol) for survival and regulate their steady-state levels by balancing de
novo synthesis, uptake of Chol-containing lipoproteins, and Chol efflux (i.e., “Chol homeostasis”). Hereditary
defects in processes that affect normal Chol homeostasis comprise a family of diseases, some of which have
pathological effects on the retina. Our current understanding of Chol homeostasis in the retina remains
comparatively rudimentary. Other than Chol per se, how other circulating lipids and lipid-soluble molecules
impact retinal Chol homeostasis remains largely unknown and unexplored. This Supplement project piggy-
backs onto an already approved parent project funded under the NIH Bench-to-Bedside initiative (NOT-OD-24-
027; Award #1167401). The overall objective of that project is to assess the effects of a novel fish oil
supplement enriched in very-long-chain (C≥24) polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs) on cardiometabolic
risk factors and visual function. The present Supplement project seeks to test the hypothesis that VLCPUFAs
can alter Chol homeostasis in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Relevance: the RPE, as the cellular
interface between the choroidal blood supply and the neural retina, is a central player in regulating retinal Chol
homeostasis. We will use cultured iPSC-derived RPE cells as a model system to test our hypothesis. We
predict that exogenous VLCPUFAs will have beneficial effects on retinal Chol homeostasis in a manner that is
protective against retinal degeneration. The study outcomes likely will advance our fundamental understanding
of retinal Chol homeostasis and provide useful insights regarding improved therapeutic intervention against
retinal degenerations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11046187
- **Project number:** 3R01EY033298-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Steven J. Fliesler
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $20,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-03-01 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11046187

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11046187, Cholesterol homeostasis in the vertebrate retina (3R01EY033298-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11046187. Licensed CC0.

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