The retina is exceptionally rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which shape membrane properties and are crucial for normal visual function. With age, levels of very long-chain PUFAs (VLC-PUFAs) in the retina decline, contributing to normal age-related vision loss and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
In this seminar, Dr. Dorota Skowrońska-Krawczyk will present work on ELOVL2, a key enzyme in the synthesis of VLC-PUFAs and a strong biomarker of chronological age. Using mouse models, her team shows that loss of ELOVL2 activity impairs visual function, while intravitreal supplementation with its product, 24:5n-3, in aged animals improves contrast sensitivity, accelerates rod recovery, reduces sub-RPE deposits, and partially “rejuvenates” the retinal transcriptome.
She will also present the first human genetic evidence linking ELOVL2 variants to intermediate AMD, highlighting ELOVL2 as a promising therapeutic target to prevent age-related vision loss and potentially other CNS aging processes.
About the speaker
Dorota Skowrońska-Krawczyk, PhD is a faculty member in the Departments of Physiology and Biophysics, and Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and a member of the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. A biochemist and molecular biologist, she investigates molecular mechanisms of aging with a focus on age-related eye diseases.
Her Aging Eye Laboratory studies, among other topics, the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in age-related macular degeneration and the impact of cellular stress on accelerated aging. Using state-of-the-art genomics, proteomics, lipidomics, and mouse models of human disease, her group aims to identify new therapeutic strategies, including repurposing FDA-approved drugs for ophthalmic indications.
