Abstract:

Retina deposits form with age and their presence is the highest known risk factor for the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD); the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Deposits, such as drusen and basal laminar deposits, form below the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) whereas deposits, such as subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD), form above the RPE. The molecular composition of such deposits, which are only partly known, varies depending on their regional and laminar locations. Thus, accurate localization is essential for interpreting imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) results. Furthermore, given the exquisite architecture of the retina, a multimodal imaging approach is required to establish the localization of IMS signals. The general goal of this study is to use multimodal imaging methods including ex vivo OCT, autofluorescence, optical microscopy, and state-of-the-art IMS methods to elucidate the molecular composition of different retinal deposits in aged human tissue. Such information can molecularly inform clinical imaging modalities.

About Kevin Schey:

Kevin L. Schey, Ph.D, is Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1989 and has 30+ years of professional experience in mass spectrometry and analytical chemistry, including all aspects of proteomics analysis and mass spectrometry imaging. His application area of interest is the eye, particularly lens and retina biochemistry. He directs the Core Facility operations of the MSRC.

Friday, May 20th, at 13:00 CET

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