-- Ace Therapeutics, a global leader in ophthalmic disease model development and preclinical research services, today announced its customized NHP GA model development platform focused on blue light‑induced retinal degeneration, providing researchers worldwide with a highly translational tool to support neuroprotective drug testing in blue light AMD models.
Geographic atrophy (GA) represents an advanced subtype of age‑related macular degeneration (AMD), characterized by progressive retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy, photoreceptor loss, and choriocapillaris damage. Despite significant research efforts, the underlying pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, and no curative therapies are currently available. Traditional rodent models, while widely used, differ substantially from humans in ocular anatomy, physiology, and immune responses, limiting translational value for drug development.
Ace Therapeutics’ non‑human primate (NHP) model is engineered to replicate key pathological and functional features of human GA via controlled blue light phototoxicity. Leveraging a robust NHP research platform and an experienced ophthalmology model development team, Ace Therapeutics has established and validated a reproducible blue light‑induced retinal degeneration model in cynomolgus monkeys. This model closely recapitulates the progressive outer retinal atrophy seen in advanced human AMD, offering a physiologically relevant system for evaluating candidate therapeutics.
The customized NHP GA model development process involves standardized blue light exposure in one eye of experimental animals, with the contralateral eye serving as an internal control. Using a 300‑W xenon light source equipped with a 470‑nm bandpass filter and a 1.0 neutral density filter, researchers induce targeted retinal stress with radiant exposures ranging from 12 J/cm² to 75 J/cm² over 5 to 30 minutes, supported by a 12‑week in‑life monitoring period. This controlled induction enables consistent, progressive retinal degeneration that mimics human disease progression more faithfully than many rapid‑onset degeneration models.
Ace Therapeutics’ ophthalmic pharmacologists provide standardized, customizable study protocols to evaluate the efficacy and safety of candidate neuroprotective compounds. These protocols include adaptive feeding, standardized blue light‑mediated retinal injury, and intravitreal administration of test agents, paired with longitudinal functional and structural assessments. Additionally, Ace Therapeutics offers a comprehensive suite of endpoint analyses, including fundus autofluorescence imaging for RPE damage assessment, optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness, multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) for photoreceptor function evaluation, as well as histological and immunohistochemical analyses. These assays enable quantitative, objective assessment of retinal structure and function throughout the study period.
Ace Therapeutics remains committed to advancing innovative preclinical models that accelerate ophthalmic drug discovery. The new blue light‑induced NHP GA model expands Ace Therapeutics' portfolio of customized ocular disease models, which includes laser‑induced chronic ocular hypertension, retinal ischemia‑reperfusion injury, dry eye disease, choroidal neovascularization, uveitis, inherited retinal diseases, and cataract models.
About Ace Therapeutics
Ace Therapeutics is a leading preclinical contract research organization (CRO) based in New York, specializing in the development of customized disease models and preclinical research services across multiple therapeutic areas. Ace Therapeutics provides one-stop preclinical solutions including efficacy testing, pharmacokinetic analysis, toxicology studies and biomarker development for pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and research organizations worldwide.
Contact Info:
Name: Daisy Mostert
Email: Send Email
Organization: Ace Therapeutics
Website: https://www.acetherapeutics.com/ophthalmology/
Release ID: 89187348
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