Scientists eye role of fatty acid deficiency in sight-robbing condition
As the number of children born with a vision-impairing condition known as optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) increases, scientists with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC are investigating potential ways to prevent and treat the disease.
The condition occurs when optic nerves that transmit signals from the retina to the brain are underdeveloped at birth, causing moderate to severe vision loss in children, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It has no known cause, and families touched by the disorder have few medical solutions.
With support from a four-year, $1.56 million grant from the National Eye Institute of the NIH, Virginia Tech scientists, led by principal investigator Konark Mukherjee, will explore whether a prenatal deficiency of an important fatty acid known as arachidonic acid contributes to the disorder.