June 5, 2024 (Cambridge, MA) - Cirrus Therapeutics, the University of Bristol, and London’s Global University Institute of Ophthalmology have discovered a revolutionary treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among older adults.
Featured on the cover of the journal Science Translational Medicine, this breakthrough research reveals that boosting a specific protein, IRAK-M, in retinal cells could offer a new and highly effective therapy for AMD.
AMD can severely impact a person’s vision. Patients suffering from AMD often start with blurred vision or seeing a black dot in their central vision, which can ultimately expand to the point where there is no useful central vision. Currently, AMD affects approximately 200 million people worldwide, a number projected to rise to 288 million by 2040 with graying populations. The exact cause of AMD is complex and thought to involve a combination of aging, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
The team found that augmenting IRAK-M levels in retinal cells can significantly protect against retinal degeneration. “This discovery represents the first pathway-agnostic approach toward AMD, offering a comprehensive treatment option for the millions of people who suffer from this debilitating condition,” said Dr. Andrew Dick, Head of the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology at the University of Bristol, Director of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Cirrus Therapeutics.
Dr. Jian Liu, the first author and senior research scientist at the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology of the University of Bristol, added, “Since age stands as a primary risk factor for AMD, the gradual decrease of IRAK- M levels with age, which further declines in AMD, is a key way to identify the potential markers of early AMD progression and ultimately a new way of treatment.”
This discovery will build and improve upon current treatments for AMD, which are targeting single pathophysiology pathways. “Our novel approach not only addresses the multiple pathways involved in treating AMD but also offers the most compelling and evidence-based strategy available today,” said Cirrus Therapeutics co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ying Kai Chan.
Cirrus Therapeutics recently spun out of the University of Bristol to develop therapies related to this discovery.
The research for this paper was funded by the Rosetrees Trust, Stoneygate Trust, Underwood Trust, Macular Society, Sight Research UK, Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah, Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translation, and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) BRC Moorfields and UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology.
About Cirrus Therapeutics
Cirrus Therapeutics is an ocular immunology-focused company co-founded by Dr. Ying Kai Chan, former Chief Scientific Officer of Ally Therapeutics and Blavatnik Fellow at Harvard Business School, and Dr. Andrew Dick, Professor and Head of the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology at the University of Bristol and Director of UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
Cirrus, a spin-out from the University of Bristol, is developing treatments for long-term eye diseases that can cause blindness, focusing on conditions that affect the ocular immune system.
Cirrus’ lead program is a differentiated and first-in-class approach to treating dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among older adults.
Dr. Dick, Dr. Chan, and colleagues found that increasing the protein IRAK-M in retinal cells can significantly protect against retinal degeneration. This discovery will build and improve upon current treatments for AMD, which only have the capacity to address single pathophysiology pathways.
Cirrus’ novel approach not only addresses the multiple pathways involved in treating AMD but also offers the most compelling and evidence-based strategy available today.
About the University of Bristol
The University is ranked within the top 10 universities in the UK and 55th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024); it is also ranked among the top five institutions in the UK for its research, according to analysis of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021; and is the 5th most targeted university by top UK employers.
The University was founded in 1876 and was granted its Royal Charter in 1909. It was the first university in England to admit women on the same basis as men.
The University is a major force in the economic, social and cultural life of Bristol and the region, but is also a significant player on the world stage. It has over 20,000 undergraduates and over 7,000 postgraduate students from more than 150 countries, and its research links span the globe.
About London’s Global University Institute of Ophthalmology
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is world-leading for research and teaching in ophthalmology and biomedical science. The Institute delivers advanced ophthalmic research and education in partnership with Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Image (for use only with this study) can be downloaded from the following URL:
https://fluff.bris.ac.uk/fluff/u2/ficmc/24vuJNzdpZ_8UZNFGq54hgIlA/
Image Caption: IRAK-M gene therapy prevents degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium. Credit: Liu et al./Science Translational Medicine
For further information or to arrange an interview with the researchers, please contact Dr. Ying Kai Chan and Dr. Andrew Dick at info@cirrustx.com.
Journal
Science Translational Medicine
Article Title
Replenishing IRAK-M expression in retinal pigment epithelium attenuates outer retinal degeneration
Article Publication Date
5-Jun-2024