Friday, February 06, 2015

University of Iowa researcher Budd Tucker, PhD, has been awarded one of three Research to Prevent Blindness/International Retinal Research Foundation Catalyst Awards for Stem Cell Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

The four-year award of up to $250,000 is designed to help fund high-risk/high-gain vision research by scientists who are working on cutting-edge approaches to age-related macular degeneration involving stem cells.

Tucker is an investigator at the University of Iowa Institute for Vision Research and directs the Steven W. Dezii Translational Vision Research Facility. Information about his Lab and research may be found at http://www.tuckerlaboratory.org.

In his research, Tucker and his team hope to produce outer retinal cell grafts grown from fibroblasts taken from a patient's own skin on biodegradable scaffolds and deliver those cell scaffolds into an eye. These scaffolds will aid in the immune rejection response of the transplant and significantly reduce cell loss which typically occurs following bulk injection of stem cells into the eye.

Research to Prevent Blindness is the world's leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. More information about the organization and Catalyst Awards may be found at https://www.rpbusa.org/rpb/

Story Source: UI Health Care Marketing and Communications, 200 Hawkins Drive, Room W319 GH, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1009

Media Contact: Joe Schmidt (Joe-Schmidt@uiowa.edu, 319-384-8529)