A Dietary Supplement in Treatment of Glaucoma

Jeffrey Boatright, PhD Emory University, Atlanta

Co-Principal Investigators

Ying Li, MD, PhD

Summary

Mitochondria are the energy factories of cells. The mitochondria of RGCs lose function with age, probably due to age-related loss of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an enzyme cofactor needed for energy production, making the cells more susceptible to damage. The goal of this study is to test whether systemic delivery of the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside, a dietary supplement, increases retinal NAD+ and protects RGCs in glaucoma models.