Dr. Esraa Shosha from University of Arkansas Awarded $90,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for Retinopathy of Prematurity Research

Dr. Esraa Shosha from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas was awarded a $90,000 grant for her research entitled: Endothelial HDAC3 mediates pathological angiogenesis in retinopathy of prematurity.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a serious eye disease affecting premature infants and can cause blindness. It damages the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. This damage occurs because of a lack of oxygen to the retina tissue. This leads to the growth of new leaky blood vessels causing vision problems. Current treatments for ROP have serious side effects.

Dr. Shosha is looking for new ways to treat ROP that are less harmful. One promising approach is to target an enzyme called histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3). She has found that HDAC3 levels are increased in the aberrant retina blood vessels of a mouse model of ROP. She has also shown that inhibiting HDAC3 in retina blood vessel lining cells reduces vessel formation under low oxygen conditions. The HDAC3 inhibitor also decreased a second enzyme called hexokinase 2 that is important for cells to utilize sugars and produce the energy needed for new blood vessel growth. These findings suggest that HDAC3 may be a promising new target for ROP treatment. Dr. Shosha will examine the utility of the HDAC3 inhibitor as a treatment in the mouse model of ROP with the future goal of translating her findings from the lab to the clinic. This is the first step toward a positive impact on the lives of infants with ROP. Her ultimate goal of saving infants’ sight will contribute to the KTEF’s mission to improve vision through research.