KTEF GRANT BOOKLET 2013

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The Mission The Mission of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., is “To improve vision through research, education, and supporting access to care.�

To that end the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. annually announces its call for research grant applications. The Foundation invites eligible investigators to submit applications for Pediatric Ophthalmology Research Grants for the award period which normally runs from July 1 to June 30.

From the applications received the Scientific Advisory Committee recommends to the Trustees which requests should be awarded.

To date over $21 Million dollars have been spent on Research.

Note: For more Information on the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. Pediatric Ophthalmology Grant programs go to our web site:

http://www.knightstemplar.org/ktef/grantinfo.html

Inquiries & requests for materials regarding the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. should be made directly to: Robert W. Bigley Office Administrator/Assistant Secretary Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. 1033 Long Prairie Road, Suite 5 Flower Mound, TX 75022-4230 Phone: (214) 888-0220 Fax: (214) 888-0230 E-mail: manager@ktef.us Website: www.knightstemplar.org/ktef

The report of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. as of August 2013. $139 million has been spent on research, patient care and education.

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Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. Where we are today…

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he Knights Templar Eye Foundation, incorporated in 1956, is a charity sponsored by the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar and is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of the six elected officers of the Grand Encampment, all Past Grand Masters of the Grand Encampment, and six Trustees-at-Large elected from and by the membership for a term of nine years. It is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions made to the Foundation are deductible by the donors.

Change in Direction: Since 1956 the Eye Foundation Mission was “to provide assistance to those who face loss of sight due to the need for surgical treatment without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex or national origin provided they are unable to pay or receive adequate assistance from current government agencies or similar sources and to provide funds for research in curing diseases of the eye.”

And since its founding over $139 million has been spent on research, patient care and education. Research grants totaling in excess of $21 million have been awarded to researchers working in the field of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Genetics.

With the passage of the new Healthcare Reform Bill by Congress and a number of other related events, the Trustees of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. on August 14, 2010, voted to move out of case processing and redirect the dollars allocated for treatment to research and education.

Effective December 31, 2010, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. has ceased participating in direct patient care except as is currently done with the Seniors Eye Care Program in partnership with Eye Care America and the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

There were a number of other circumstances involved in the decision such as compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy regulations, but primarily, the passage of national healthcare was the underlying factor.

Because of these changes the need for our services is greatly reduced or even eliminated.

Further, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. had moved over the years from primarily treating children to almost exclusively treating adults for cataracts. Additionally, our cases were processed primarily in only about 25% of the United States due to state government programs. The trustees further felt that research benefits everyone’s eyesight no matter where they live, whether in this country or in the other countries where the Grand Encampment has Grand and Subordinate Commanderies.

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Pediatric Ophthalmology Grants

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he Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. is committed to support research that can help launch the careers of clinical or basic researchers committed to the prevention and cure of potentially blinding diseases in infants and children. We support clinical or basic research on conditions that can or may eventually be treated or prevented. Examples include but are not limited to amblyopia, congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity, ocular malformations, congenital nystagmus, and other hereditary eye diseases such as retinal dystrophies or retinoblastoma.

Each year the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc invites eligible investigators to submit applications for Pediatric Ophthalmology:

Career-Starter Research Grants - up to $60,000 per grant. Applicants for these grants are at the beginning of their academic careers and must have received an M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degree.

Competitive Renewal Grants - up to $60,000 per grant to extend the original grant project for one additional year if the data accumulated in the first 7 months of the original grant given the previous year are compelling.

Training Mentors for Developing Countries (TMDC) Fellowship Annual stipend of $60,000 - The Scientific Advisory Committee for the Knights Templar Eye Foundation has identified a significant need for well-trained pediatric ophthalmology faculty (mentors) in developing countries. As a result we have created a 1-year fellowship to help meet that training need. Those receiving have agreed in writing to return to their native country immediately following the fellowship to practice pediatric ophthalmology for a minimum of 5 years before emigrating and, to the extent possible, be directly involved in the training of residents during those 5 years.

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Words of Appreciation What a pleasure it is to once again thank the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. for its recent grant to Dr. Michael Do’s research titled Photoreception in the Womb for Normal Eye Development.

As previous studies show, the embryonic environment is vital to the developing human. With your support, Dr. Do will explore the impact of light in the womb on the developing eye. He will, more specifically, investigate the role of melanopsin, a receptor pigment in the retina, to determine its effects on eye formation and initiation of pediatric eye diseases.

We appreciate the generosity of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation and its support of our research. On behalf of all of us at Children’s, thank you.

Sincerely, James Mandell, M.D., Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts

Thank you for the recent grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. to Washington University for support of Dr. Luke A. Wiley’s research project in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the School of Medicine, titled Role of macrophage-mediated autophagy in ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization.

Even the best teaching and research institutions – those dedicated to serving the needs of society – cannot realize their ambitious plans without the support of organizations like the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. Dynamic partnerships between great universities and forward-looking organizations produce new knowledge and important discoveries that will provide value for decades to come. This grant will help Washington University enhance its leadership today to benefit America and the world tomorrow.

Again, on behalf of Dr. Wiley, all of us at Washington University, and especially those who will benefit from the research conducted with the support of this grant, thank you.

Sincerely yours, Mark S. Wrighton, Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

Progress Report from Grant Recipient I am pleased to submit the progress report for the Knights Templar grant, A new Approach to Amblyopia Treatment.

This research project showed that this new approach to amblyopia treatment yields significantly better visual acuity outcomes after 4 weeks of treatment. The outcome from this stud was presented at the recently concluded 2013 American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting and a the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. The work was positively received with good reviews by clinicians in pediatric ophthalmology and was awarded the Best in Show at the AAPOS 2013 meeting. The pediatric ophthalmologists in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with whom we have been collaborating have been impressed with the outcome from these studies and have been actively referring children with amblyopia, including amblyopic children who have not responded effectively to conventional amblyopia treatment. Thus, the binocular iPad treatment has shown excellent potential to have a direct translational impact on how amblyopia is treated an shows initial promise in preventing recurrent and residual amblyopia.

We thank the Foundation for their support of this important research project.

Sincerely, Jacqueline S. Hall, Operations Director, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas Texas 5

Thomas C. Lee, M.D. Director, Vision Center Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Member of the Knights Templar Scientific Advisory Committee

When I think of the impact the Knights Templar Eye Foundation has had on my career, I am reminded of my high school motto, (“Finis origine pendet”) which is Latin for “The end depends upon the beginning.” Early events can have a profound impact on the ultimate direction we take. In my case, receiving a Knights Templar Eye Foundation grant was one such event.

Growing up in Minnesota, I was sure I would become either a farmer or an astronaut. Little did I know what the future would have in store for me. My education took me out of Minnesota to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for college, then further north to New York City where I went to medical school at Cornell and then finally up to Boston where I completed a retina fellowship at Harvard. During that journey, I knew that to create a better future, we needed to discover new treatments that would help us in our fight against childhood blindness. In my case, I focused on a hereditary cancer, retinoblastoma, which occurred in the eyes of newborn babies. In 1998, I was awarded a Knights Templar Eye Foundation grant to study the fundamental aspects of this blinding cancer. Through this work I realized that there was much more we could do to protect childhood sight. Since then, I have devoted my life to this cause, and now as Director of the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, I oversee seven doctors who are all equally dedicated to eradicating childhood blindness.

This path I took all started with a simple grant application 14 years ago to the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, and I am very grateful for the generosity of all of the members and their families for supporting doctors and scientists like myself. Our motto at the Vision Center is that every child should be able to see a sunset. Through the support from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, we are now closer to making that a reality.

Thomas C. Lee, M.D.

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Research Grant Presentations Maryland Grand Officers present two research grants to doctors from The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore.

Pictured left to right - Sir Knight Richard A. Ortt Sr., Deputy Grand Commander of Maryland, Fausto J. Rodriguez, M.D., Peter J. McDonnell, Director, Wilmer Eye Institute, S. Amer Riazuddin, Ph.D and Sir Knight Frederick A. Spicer, Grand Commander of Maryland

The first grant approved for $60,000 was awarded to Fausto J. Rodriguez, M.D. who was presented the initial check of $50,000 for study of the optic nerves which represent the main conduit from the eye to the brain, and their proper function is essential for vision. The most common tumor affecting the optic nerve in children is optic nerve glioma. Although these tumors grow slowly, they are often associated with progressive visual loss in affected children.

Traditional therapies available to treat this disease are generally ineffective. Therefore increasing understanding of the biology of these tumors is essential to develop specific, effective, non-toxic therapies to preserve vision. The research group has been interested in the role of specific molecular alterations in these tumors, particularly alterations in BRAF and increased mTOR pathway activity, both of which may provide important stimuli for these tumors to grow. The preliminary studies using tumor tissue obtained from patients demonstrate that increased mTOR activity is a feature of optic nerve glioma compared with similar tumors occurring elsewhere in the brain. Furthermore, there are many specific inhibitors for this pathway that could represent new ways to treat these tumors without the side-effects associated with traditional anti-tumor therapies. It is anticipate this research grant will provide new insights into the biology of these tumors and help treat them more effectively, preventing visual loss in these children.

The second grant approved for $55,900 was awarded to S. Amer Riazuddin, Ph.D. who was presented the initial check of $45,900 for his research project focusing on blindness which is a condition affecting all ages and all societies worldwide. Every year millions of people lose their eye sight and unfortunately the majority of these cases are preventable. Cataracts account for the majority of the preventable cases of blindness. The term cataract is used when the normally clear ocular lens becomes cloudy or opaque leading to permanent vision loss. The visual impairment due to cataract is usually progressive and symptoms mainly include glare, cloudy or blurry vision.

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Congenital cataracts are the principal cause of visual impairment in children. They are either present at birth or develop during the early years of life. Approximately one-third of all cases of congenital cataract are hereditary. They are caused by mutations in genes essential for development and/or maintenance of lens transparency. Identification of mutations associated with cataractogenesis is critical both for diagnostic screening and development of novel therapeutic approaches.

In this study, they will identify mutations responsible for cataract formation using the cutting edge technology of next-generation DNA sequencing. To date only 10 genes have been associated with autosomal recessive congenital cataracts. The successful execution of this project will identify three additional genes, which will add to our understanding of processes that are critical for maintenance of lens transparency. The knowledge gained from this project will lead to better treatments and will bring us one step closer to our goal of preventing childhood blindness.

During the 126th Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery of Washington a $60,000 grant check was award to Mrs. Tracy Saveria, Ph.D. from the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and presented to her by the Grand Master of Knights Templar.

Mrs. Saveria’s grant will focus on Toxoplasma gondii which is an important global pathogen, infecting as many as 2 billion people worldwide. Infection during pregnancy can be passed to the fetus, resulting in an array of birth defects, including blindness, epilepsy, and developmental delay. The most common manifestation of toxoplasmosis not associated with AIDS is a condition called retinochoroiditis, where parasitic cysts in the retina reactivate to damage the eye, leading to decreased vision and blindness. Current therapies involve lengthy treatment courses and side effects from these can be quite adverse for many patients, including pregnant women.

Identification of novel features of the Pictured are - Mrs. Tracy Saveria, Ph.D. and parasite may lead to newer and better drug Sir Knight David Dixon Goodwin, targets that will have minimal impact on the Most Eminent Grand Master of the host. Currently, they are studying how the Grand Encampment Knights Templar parasite localizes proteins to a unique cellular component called the apicoplast. Because human cells do not have this structure, the aim is to find ways it can be exploited for the development of safe and effective drugs against toxoplasmosis.

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Pictured left to right - Sir Knight Dale Davis, Grand Commander of North Carolina, Dr.Lejila Vajzovic and Sir Knight Fredrick H. Whitty III, Chairman of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation of North Carolina and Past Grand Commander of North Carolina

A grant for $60,000 was approved and the initial check of $50,000 was presented to Dr. Lijla Vajzovic, M.D., from Duke University Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology in Durham, North Carolina she is researching Retinal Photoreceptor Development in Premature and Term Infants.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affects about 14,000–16,000 of infants yearly, and ~90% of these infants are diagnosed with milder forms of ROP lowering the likelihood of severe vision loss. However, studies indicate that these premature infants despite the milder forms of ROP have uncorrectable visual impairments. For example, in the Early Treatment of ROP study, ~65% of infants had less than 20/40 vision at 6 years of age.

To evaluate anatomic visual system development, they have developed a method to assess macular development in awake premature and term infants and children using portable, handheld Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SDOCT) imaging. They are able to consistently image the macula of each eye in an awake infant, and have been able to develop a normative database. In addition, they have compared and defined the unique SDOCT layers seen in infants with structures seen in age-matched histological specimens.

Therefore, they propose to longitudinally study anatomic development of macula on SDOCT imaging in preterm and term infants, and then correlate with visual acuity development. The teams intent is to compare the two groups (preterm and term infants) at same chronological age and describe any differences in anatomic visual system development and how these differences may impact visual function. This study will lead to future broad applications of SDOCT in assessment of macular development, and therefore, visual system development. SDOCT may serve as an imaging tool that helps identify those infants in need of an early intervention.

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Jingyun Wang, Ph.D. and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Indiana University School of Medicine was honored this year at the Grand Lodge Session in Indiana when the Past Grand Commander and outgoing Grand Master of Indiana George Ingles presented her with a $60,000 research grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation. The session had in attendance over 1,000 Masons, including the Indiana Grand Commandery Officers along with Sir Knight Larry W. Brown R.E. Department Commander for the East Central Department and Sir Knight Duane L. Vaught, R.E. Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar.

Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Indiana, Sir Knight George Ingles presented the check to Jingyun Wang, Ph.D.

Ms Wang’s research is focused around premature babies born with very low birth weight (<1000 grams) who suffer from severe nearsightedness, or myopia. This type of myopia of prematurity occurs very early in life and affects these children’s vision negatively in the long term.

It not only affects a child’s social, emotional, and physical well-being but also bears impact on the livelihood of the family. Although this type of myopia differs from common myopia in teenagers (caused by an abnormally longer eye), we treat them the same because the cause underlying myopia of prematurity is poorly understood. Based on previous evidence and pilot data, she predicts that myopia of prematurity may be caused by two mechanisms: (1) abnormal development of the anterior part of the eye and (2) abnormal whole eye elongation. This grant will allow the research to clarify the mechanisms of myopia of prematurity and will lead to vision-saving treatments for these premature children.

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Past Department Commander & Trustee of the Eye Foundation along with local and state officers within the Grand Commandery of Missouri present a $60,000 grant check to Benjamen A. Filas, Ph.D, from Washington University School of Medicine located in St. Louis, Missouri whose research is focused on two major eye diseases.

Pictured left to right - Sir Knight Billy J. Boyer, Past Department Commander of the South Central Department and Trustee of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Benjamen A. Filas Ph.D., Sir Knight Terry Coppotelli, Commander of Ascalon Commandery #16 and Sir Knight Roger Fleer, Grand Sword Bearer of Grand Commandery of Missouri

Coloboma (open eyeball) and microphthalmia (small, poorly functioning eye) are serious eye defects that result from genetic or mechanical perturbation of early eye development. These diseases are not rare as five to ten percent of blind children are born with these severe malformations. Although the causes of most cases of coloboma or microphthalmia are unknown, malformation of the optic fissure (which establishes the location of the optic nerve) is known to play a role. The goal of this study is to determine the physical mechanisms that drive optic fissure morphogenesis. Using experiments and computational models, they will define the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for optic fissure formation and malformation. The goal is to identify the underlying cellular causes of coloboma and microphthalmia so that they can better design strategies to prevent these diseases.

Officers of the Grand Commandery of Massachusetts & Rhode Island present two $60,000 grants; one to Philip M Bronstad, Ph.D., who is with Schepens Eye Research Institute and the second to Michael Tri Hoang Do, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, from Boston Children’s Hospital both associated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Pictured from left to right – Sir Knight George A. Sarafinas, Grand Warder of Mass/RI, Sir Knight Vincent J. Faraci, Grand Commander of Mass/RI, Philip Bronstad, Ph.D. (recipient of Grant), Patricia D’Amore, Ph.D. and Sir Knight Thomas X. Tsirimokos, Department Commander Northeastern Department

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Dr Bronstad’s research will center on Hemianopia which is loss of one half of the visual field in both eyes. In children it most frequently results from head trauma, followed by brain tumor and stroke. Curiously, strabismus (mis-alignment of the eyes) co-occurs with hemianopia more commonly than expected. Strabismus may develop to compensate for hemianopia. If the deviant eye points into the area of field loss, this expands a child’s visual field.

Strabismus surgery is one of the most common eye surgeries performed on children, and one of the most-cost effective surgeries overall. The surgeon realigns the misaligned eye by shortening its ocular muscles. This surgery has many benefits, including improving the patient’s appearance and psychosocial functioning, eliminating double vision and amblyopia.

However, if the patient had hemianopia, strabismic surgery could cause visual field loss and double vision, and perhaps make the child unlikely to obtain a drivers license later in life as he or she will not meet licensure requirements.

Although assumed to be rare, the research group has access to a large database of children with both hemianopia and strabismus, 142 patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. By extrapolation there may be 100,000 such children worldwide. This research grant proposes to conduct the largest study of strabismus and hemianopia and determine whether strabismus is adaptive and whether children can wear prism glasses after surgery to allow them to have their cake and eat it too; enjoy the many benefits of surgery as well as re-expand their visual field.

Pictured from left to right – Sir Knight George A. Sarafinas, Grand Warder of Mass/RI, Sir Knight Vincent J. Faraci, Grand Commander of Mass/RI, Michael Tri Hoang Do, Ph.D. and Sir Knight Thomas X. Tsirimokos, Department Commander Northeastern Department

Dr Do’s research will be tracking the progression from conception to maturity which is instructed by cues from the environment. The eye is no exception. Without proper light exposure after birth, the eye develops abnormalities in structure and function. While this phenomenon has been recognized for decades, the process by which it occurs has remained largely mysterious.

Understanding how the environment guides development is likely to be important for the treatment of pediatric eye diseases. For instance, an increasingly frequent cause of visual impairment is retinopathy of prematurity, which afflicts preterm infants because part of their development occurs outside the normal environment of the womb. The circulatory system of their eyes acquires an aberrant structure that can be so severe that it causes blindness. Recently, it has been discovered that this circulatory system is regulated by light. Surprisingly, light is important at an earlier stage of development than generally thought possible: The embryo itself senses light while in the womb, and does so with an unusual receptor molecule. These findings raise a number of fundamental questions. Where and when is this receptor molecule active in the embryo? How does the embryo sense light in the dimness of the womb? How widespread is the influence of light on embryonic eye development? The research is proposing to address these questions through a combination of methods used in genetics, electrophysiology, and optics.

They expect to identify important steps by which light influences eye development. These steps are potential points of clinical intervention for altering the course of pediatric eye diseases.

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Published in the “UDaily” (Provided by the University of Delaware)

UD’s Lachke expands cataracts research to infants born with the disease

Salil Lachke, Ph.D. is presented research grant by Sir Knight James G. Horn, Grand Commander of Delaware

The University of Delaware’s Salil Lachke, Ph.D., a developmental biologist and expert in gene discoveries associated with eye disease, has received a $60,000 career-starter research grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation to expand his scholarship to infants born with cataracts, making him one of 19 researchers across the country to receive this award.

Cataracts in children can cause permanent vision damage by preventing proper visual signals to the brain during critical stages of development, and nearly half of all cases of newborn cataracts are caused by genetic defects. Lachke, an assistant professor of biological sciences and Pew Scholar of biomedical sciences, has developed an online gene discovery tool, called “iSyTE” (Integrated Systems Tool for Eye gene discovery), currently housed at the University’s Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.

In the past three years, iSyTE has led to the identification of several new genes associated with cataracts, including TDRD7, which, when mutated, can lead to cataracts and glaucoma in mice and in humans. With funding from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Lachke will use iSyTE, advanced technological RNA sequencing and protein analysis to identify the altered molecules in TDRD7-deficient mice.

“These investigations will identify components of a new pathway that leads to congenital cataracts in humans and will aid in development of genetics-based diagnostic approaches for ocular disease,” said Lachke.

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A $60,000 grant was presented to Johanne M. Dubail, Ph.D., from the Cleveland Clinic, Department of Biomedical Engineering in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr Johanne is researching ADAMTS9 as a candidate Gene in Pathogenesis of Anterior Segment Dysgenesis.

Dr. Dubail’s check was presented by Sir Knight Larry W. Brown, Department Commander for the East Central Department

When eye structures develop incorrectly in the embryo, sight can be impaired at birth or progressively lost in childhood. The eye is considered to have two major compartments, the front (anterior segment) and the back (posterior segment). The anterior segment includes the lens, cornea and iris as well as structures that are involved in formation and drainage of aqueous humor, a fluid which nourishes these components.

Abnormalities during anterior segment formation are broadly called anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD). ASD can lead to loss of corneal transparency, and increased pressure in the eye (glaucoma) and thus can severely impair sight from birth or later. This research group has found a new mouse genetic defect very similar to human ASD, caused by a mutation in the ADAMTS9 gene, which was not previously known to be involved in eye development. This discovery suggested that mutations in the ADAMTS9 gene could also be responsible for ASD in humans. Therefore, during this research project they will undertake genetic analysis of humans with ASD to look for ADAMTS9 mutations. A parallel analysis of ADAMTS9 mutant mice, done in the context of human ASD, will contribute to answering the following questions: How does the eye form? What molecules help to form the anterior segment properly? What exactly goes wrong when either the cells that form the eye or the genes that direct them go awry? These studies are expected to provide novel information about birth defects affecting the human eye.

Adema Ribic, Ph.D., from Yale University, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry received a $60,000 grant to identify therapeutic targets for effective treatment of vision disorders.

Our brains are plastic and susceptible to the environment during childhood and this plasticity is essential for normal development. This is readily evident during the formation of our visual system, where environmental visual stimuli guide and shape its development during early childhood years. Hence, impairments to normal vision in children lead to devastating vision disorders, such as amblyopia (“lazy eye”). Amblyopia affects 2-4% of human population and the loss of vision caused by it can be successfully treated early in life, while the brain is still plastic. However, our brains become “hard-wired” and less plastic as we mature, making 14

prospects for treatment of amblyopia later in life extremely poor. Unfortunately, little is known about converting the mature brain to a more plastic state. Genes and molecules that can increase brain plasticity after childhood are major therapeutic targets for the treatment of a number of vision disorders, including amblyopia, but no such interventions currently exist.

The overall aim of this project is to discover new molecules that can make our brains more plastic.

Our laboratory has discovered a family of molecules that modulates the development and plasticity of neurons. We also have preliminary evidence indicating that manipulation of these molecules can increase brain plasticity. Our research will combine novel genetic and physiological tools in order to elucidate molecules that can either enhance or diminish brain plasticity. The fundamental objective is to identify novel therapeutic targets for effective treatment of developmental vision disorders, such as amblyopia, after our brains become â&#x20AC;&#x153;hardwiredâ&#x20AC;?.

Pictured left to right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sir Knight Thomas X. Tsirimokos, Department Commander Northeastern Department, Dr. Thomas Biederer, Dr. Adema Ribic (recipient of grant), Sir Knight Stuart Drost, Grand Commander of Connecticut and Sir Knight Vincent Cowie, Past Department Commander of Northeastern Department and Grand Recorder of Connecticut

Ning A. Zhang, Ph.D., a Postdoctoral Scholar from Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine was awarded a $60,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation grant to do research to gain insight into the disease, Stargardt.

Mutations in human ABCA4 gene which produce a protein involved in the transport of a vitamin A byproduct in the eye required for vision can cause Stargardt disease, the most common form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration leading to legal blindness. This condition affects about one in 8,000~10,000 children. Although causative mutations related to Stargardt disease have been identified, lack of their detailed understanding has thwarted the development of effective treatments.

Animal models can contribute to the understanding and treatment of human diseases. A mouse model with no functional ABCA4 protein was created in 1999 which demonstrated that ABCA4 deficiency could produce retinal disease but this model did not fully reproduce the phenotypes of Stargardt disease. Because several individuals with two particular missense mutations developed a much more severe type of Stargardt disease, we generated the same double knock-in mutant in mice.

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Now they propose to employ a variety of high resolution imaging techniques, electrophysiological approaches and biochemical methods to characterize the retinal disease that develops in this special model. Insights gained from this study should eventually help develop experimental therapies for Stargardt disease.

Sir Knight Larry W. Brown, Department Commander for the East Central Department presents check to Dr. Ning A. Zhang

A $60,000 grant was presented to Lingkun Kong, Ph.D., M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Houston Texas whose research centers around preterm infants and the cause of blindness by ROP.

Sir Knight Larry E. Tucker, Grand Recorder of the Grand Encampment, Secretary & Trustee of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation presented the check to Lingkun Kong, Ph.D., M.D.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of abnormal growth of vessels in the inner layer of the eyes of low birth weight preterm infants that potentially leads to blindness. Half a million children are born prematurely each year in USA and 14% of blindness in children is caused by ROP. In the middle income countries, about 47% of childhood blindness is caused

by ROP. There are two treatments for severe ROP: Laser surgery or Bevacizumab shots into the eye to control abnormal blood vessel formation in the eye. Both procedures have 16

limitations. Laser destroys the peripheral retina and narrows the width that the children can see. It needs special equipment and high technology. It also causes high nearsightedness.

Bevacizumab neutralizes the chemical that causes the abnormal vessel growth and save the retina. It preserves the entire vision and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cause high nearsightedness. However, Bevacizumab could leak into blood and distributed to the entire body which could potentially affect the growth of other body organs, especially brain. This study is to help them learn what proportion of Bevacizumab leaks into blood, if it causes any damage to the visual system, brain and other body organs, and if it is better than laser.

Oklahoma Grand Officers present a $60,000 grant check to Zongchao Han, Ph.D.,M.D., Assistant Professor of Research, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Cell Biology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, whose research study is working on an innovative approach for gene therapy treatment for ocular diseases.

Mistakes in the rhodopsin gene are a major contributor to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which has no proven cure. The quality of life of the patients with RP is severely affected by the progressive loss of vision resulting in total blindness. This research propose to use DNA nanoparticles (NP) that have the ability to deliver large therapeutic genes to combat visual loss in two rhodopsinassociated RP mouse models for gene supplementation with two sizes of rhodopsin DNA either alone or in combination with gene suppression, which is needed to treat dominant mutations.

This approach is innovative and unlike most treatments, the NPs have no limitations on the size of gene to be delivered without compromising efficiency. Consequently, this study will contribute significantly to the future development of NP gene therapy for ocular diseases.

Pictured left to right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sir Knight Larry E. Tucker, Grand Recorder of the Grand Encampment, Secretary & Trustee of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Grand Commandery Officers of Oklahoma are: Sir Knight Steve Guerrero, Grand Warder, Sir Knight Ed Becerra, Deputy Grand Commander, Sir Knight Trasen Akers, Grand Junior Warden, Sir Knight Donnie Higginbotham, Grand Standard Bearer, and seated are grant recipient Zongchao Han, Ph.D., M.D., check presenter is Sir Knight Erik Stuckey, Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Oklahoma

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Those Institutions Receiving Grants from 1998 - 2013 Institutions Albert Einstein Healthcare Network Baylor College of Medicine Baylor Health Care System Baylor University Boston College Carnegie Institution Case Western Reserve University Children’s Hospital Boston Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital Cleveland Clinic Foundation Columbia University Cornell University, Weill Medical College Cullen Eye Institute Duke University Medical Center Emory University George Washington University Medical Center Georgetown University Medical Center Harvard Medical School Harvard University Indiana University School of Medicine Indiana University, Glick Eye Institute Jules Stein Eye Institute Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Keck University of S. California School of Medicine Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mayo Clinic Medical College of Wisconsin Mercer University School of Medicine Mount Sinai School of Medicine Northwestern University Oakland University Oklahoma University Oregon Health & Science University Purdue University Retina Foundation of the Southwest Seattle Biomedical Research Institute Schepens Eye Research Institute Southern College of Optometry St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital St. Louis University Medical Center

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Stanford University School of Medicine State University of New York SUNY, Upstate Medical University Texas A & M University Texas Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital The Jackson Laboratory UCLA UCLA, School of Medicine UH Case Medical Center Eye Inst University of Southern California University at Buffalo, State University of New York University of Arizona University of California, Santa Cruz University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of California, San Francisco University of Chiacgo University of Delaware University of Illinois at Chiacgo University of Illinois at Chicago Eye Center University of Iowa University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine University of Iowa College of Medicine University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics University of Kentucky University of Kentucky Research Foundation University of Louisville University of Maryland University of Massachusetts Medical Center University of Miami University of Michigan University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine University of Southern California University of Tennessee Health Science Center University of Tennessee, Memphis University of Texas at Austin University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio University of Utah University of Utah School of Medicine University of Wisconsin Van Andel Research Institute Vanderbilt Eye Center Vanderbilt Eye Institute Vanderbilt University Washington University School of Medicine West Virginia University Eye Institute Wilford Hall Medical Center Yale University

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Members of the Scientific Advisory Committee Chair:

John S. Penn, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University Department of Ophthalmology Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville, TN

Monte A. Del Monte, M.D. University of Michigan Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus W.K. Kellogg Eye Center Ann Arbor, MI Joseph L. Demer, M.D. Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles Comprehensive Division, Doris Stein Eye Research Center University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Michael Gorin, M.D., Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology Jules Stein Eye Institute Los Angeles, CA Mary E. Hartnett, M.D. University of Utah Health Care John A. Moran Eye Center Salt Lake City, UT

Andrius Kazlauskas, Ph.D. Harvard University Schepens Eye Research Institute Boston, MA Thomas C. Lee, M.D. University of Southern California Division of Ophthalmology Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA A. Linn Murphree, M.D. University of Southern California Head, Division of Ophthalmology Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Elias I. Traboulsi, M.D. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation The Cole Eye Institute Cleveland, OH Lawrence Tychsen, M.D. St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University Medical Center St Louis, MO

Who are the Knights Templar?...

Today’s organization known as the Knights Templar, does not claim to be a direct descendant of the ancient order of Knights Templar that was founded during the crusades in the 12th century.

The purpose of those crusader knights was to protect pilgrims from danger when on their way to the Holy Land. These men took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and were renowned for their courage in battle. In 1118 A.D., Nineteen years after the successful crusade, these Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Jerusalem, as they termed themselves, were officially recognized, sanctioned, and given, for their headquarters, a building on Mount Moriah, the site of the Temple of King Solomon. Consequently, they became known as Knights of the Temple, or Knights Templar.

What are Knights Templar doing today?...

Eight centuries after the crusades, the current organization is still dedicated to assisting those in need and in using its efforts for the prevention of blindness. Because sight is a most precious gift, The Knights Templar Eye Foundation is often referred to as “A Great Humanitarian Charity.”