Gilbert Family Foundation Awards New Vision Restoration Initiative Grants

June 1, 2022

The Gilbert Family Foundation has recently renewed its three-year commitment to members of the Vision Restoration Initiative to explore new ways to improve vision recovery from NF1-optic gliomas.

“We are honored to receive one of these awards to discover new treatments that reduce vision loss from optic gliomas in children with NF1”, says David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, Director of the Washington University NF Center.

Using mice generated in his laboratory, the Washington University team is focused on understanding why nerve cells (neurons) with an NF1 mutation are more vulnerable to death and how immune system cells (called microglia) create optic nerve damage in the setting of NF1-optic gliomas.

By reducing neuron sensitivity to microglia-mediated damage, Dr. Gutmann and his colleagues hope to identify new approaches to improve vision in children with NF1-associated optic gliomas.