Curing blindness is now within sight Advancing basic and translational research and creating pharmacological treatments to cure blindness. Welcome Message Our Center for Translational Vision Research at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute serves as an international leader in advancing research and bolstering the support of investigators pursuing basic and translational sciences relevant to vision. We are bringing together exceptional scientific expertise from within the University, the School of Medicine and other schools, and complementary research programs to advance collaborations that focus on fundamental discoveries in vision research with translational potential. We aim to integrate basic and clinical research, including genetics and pharmacology, in order to develop innovative and accessible therapies for millions robbed of their sight or progressing toward blindness. CTVR is Awarded Space in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building CTVR interdisciplinary research program has been selected for the new building and adjacent space! At 215,000 square feet, the building is slated to be the largest interdisciplinary discovery and translational research hub on the West Coast. Scheduled to open in 2025, it is made possible by the extraordinary generosity of Adeline Mah, MD, and Robert Mah, PhD, through their Falling Leaves Foundation.The Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building is an embodiment of our collaborative One Health alliance, bringing together talent from across Health Affairs and attracting new recruits from around the globe. It will empower our clinicians and scientists to cure blindness, unlock breakthrough cancer treatments, revolutionize the treatment of neurological disorders, and harness genetics, proteomics and cutting-edge technologies to treat rare diseases and prevent common illnesses. Read More Researchers Sponsors Postdocs Students Community UC Irvine researchers discover a nanobody which may lead to treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa CTVR researchers have discovered a special antibody which may lead to a treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition that causes loss of central vision, as well as night and color vision. The study, Structural basis for the allosteric modulation of rhodopsin by nanobody binding to its extracellular domain, was published in Nature Communications. Authors of the study were Arum Wu, PhD, David Salom, PhD, John D. Hong, Aleksander Tworak, PhD, Philip D. Kiser, PharmD, PhD, and Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD, in the Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, at the University of California, Irvine. Research was conducted in collaboration with Jay Steyaert, PhD, at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Continue Reading Distinguished Speaker Series Every Friday, 8:30 am-10:00 am PST, during Academic year, CTVR hosts worldwide research seminars on the groundbreaking research topics ranging from ophthalmology, genetics, biochemistry, neurobiology, imaging, computational sciences to novel ophthalmic treatments. This seminar series showcases the Vision Science Program and engages our colleagues from UCI, the region, the nation and beyond. Please join us! Learn more About Friday Seminars News Apr 24, 2024 | Center for Translational Vision Research Dr. Kaipa Awarded the Knights Templar Foundation Grant Newly received grant from the Knights Templar Foundation Grant will support Dr. Kaipa's research on targeted treatment and the underlying pathophysiology of glaucoma, with a primary focus on the trabecular meshwork (TM). Mar 28, 2024 | UCI School of Medicine UCI researchers find potential new gene-independent therapy for retinal degeneration A research team led by the UC Irvine School of Medicine has identified a potential new gene-independent therapeutic strategy for treating the millions of people worldwide who suffer from retinal degeneration, a group of diseases that can lead to vision loss. Feb 15, 2024 | Center for Translational Vision Research Nature Publication - CTVR researchers have crystallized NinaB CTVR researchers have crystallized the visual chromophore-producing “isomerooxygenase”, NinaB, a key enzyme in the de novo generation of 11-cis-retinal for invertebrate vision. NinaB operates similarly to another protein of major importance for human vision, RPE65, and both belong to the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase family. View All News Events May 17, 2024 Distinguished Speaker Series | Jianhai Du, PhD May 10, 2024 Distinguished Speaker Series | Jonathan H. Lin, MD, PhD Apr 26, 2024 Distinguished Speaker Series | Val C. Sheffield, MD, PhD View All Events View All Events Unique Two-photon Ophthalmoscope (2PO) The CTVR boasts having the two-photon ophthalmoscope (2PO) instrument for humans, a next-generation technology that could accomplish in-depth, real-time views of disease progression. It is the only one in the country and only one of the two in the world. This live imaging with 2PO excitation can help provide patients more individualized treatment by using a nondestructive, deeply penetrating long-wavelength infrared laser beam. The application of 2PO simultaneously exceeds and complements the capabilities of optical coherence tomography and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, two of the techniques currently used clinically to image retinal diseases. Read Full Article CTVR Publication Library We strive to make our research available to benefit and transform society and improve people's lives. Full List of Publications Highlighted Publications Below is a selection of our most recent publications. Rapid RGR-dependent visual pigment recycling is mediated by the RPE and specialized Müller glia . Tworak A, Kolesnikov AV, Hong JD, Choi EH, Luu JC, Palczewska G, Dong Z, Lewandowski D, Brooks MJ, Campello L, Swaroop A, Kiser PD, Kefalov VJ, Palczewski K. Cell Rep. 2023 Aug 15;42(8):112982. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112982. Investigating the role of rhodopsin F45L mutation in mouse rod photoreceptor signaling and survival. D. Poria, A. V. Kolesnikov, T. J. Lee, D. Salom, K. Palczewski, V. J. Kefalov. eNeuro. 2023 Stress induced aging in mouse eye. Xu Q, Rydz C, Nguyen Huu VA, Rocha L, Palomino La Torre C, Lee I, Cho W, Jabari M, Donello J, Lyon DC, Brooke R, Horvath S, Weinreb RN, Ju WK, Foik A, Skowronska-Krawczyk D*; (2022). Aging Cell , PMID: 36397653 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13737 Distinct mouse models of Stargardt disease display differences in pharmacological targeting of ceramides and inflammatory responses. Engfer ZJ, Lewandowski D, Dong Z, Palczewska G, Zhang J, Kordecka K, Płaczkiewicz J, Panas D, Foik AT, Tabaka M, Palczewski K. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Dec 12;120(50):e2314698120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2314698120. A short story on how chromophore is hydrolyzed from rhodopsin for recycling. Hong, J. D. and K. Palczewski. Bioessays. 2023 Jul 16:e2300068. Structural basis for the allosteric modulation of rhodopsin by nanobody binding to its extracellular domain. Wu A, Salom D, Hong JD, Tworak A, Watanabe K, Pardon E, Steyaert J, Kandori H, Katayama K, Kiser PD, Palczewski K. Nat Commun. 2023 Aug 25;14(1):5209. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40911-9. Transient in vivo delivery of prime editor protein and pegRNA with engineered virus-like particles. An, M., A. Raguram, S. W. Du, S. Banskota, J. R. Davis, G. A. Newby, K. Palczewski, D. R. Liu. T. (2023) Nature Biotechnology (in press)