Dr. Brahim Chaqour Receives $1.5 Million Grant from National Eye Institute
Mar 15, 2012
Brahim Chaqour, PhD, associate professor of cell biology and ophthalmology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, received a grant award from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health to support his research on disorders of retinal vessel growth and function, which are responsible for vision loss in retinopathy of infant prematurity—a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness in childhood.
This award, in the amount of $1,571,000, provides Dr. Chaqour with the opportunity to continue his investigations in the mechanisms of retinal capillary closure and neovascularization that results in bleeding and retinal detachment. These are major causes of blindness in patients with diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of infant prematurity, and age-related macular degeneration. Said Dr. Chaqour, “Knowledge gained from these studies will allow development of new therapeutic leads to treat retinal ischemic diseases and improve the pharmacotherapy of microangiopathies as a whole.”
Dr. Chaqour’s research has focused on the regulation and function of specific matricellular proteins known as CCN proteins [Cysteine-rich protein 61, connective tissue growth factor, nephroblastoma overexpressed (NOV)]. These are multimodular developmentally regulated, immediate early-gene encoded, integrin-binding proteins with cell type- and cell context-dependent functions. They exhibit pro- and anti-angiogenic, apoptotic- and/or profibrotic activities and regulate both developmental and pathological processes. As such, these proteins have emerged as early diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets.
Dr Chaqour is one of the leading researchers in the biology of these molecules and his previous work has already identified key molecular intermediates in the regulation and function of these molecules that are amenable to pharmacological manipulations.
### About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers
(AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY
AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for
the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at
Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s
exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With
a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate
offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community. UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis
for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond
its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions,
including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions,
School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation
through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and
BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.