Project title: Exosomes as drug delivery tool for retinal degeneration to stop blindness

Supervisors: Dr Tom Edwards and Dr Sushma Anand
Email: tedwards@cera.org.au and sanand@cera.org.au
Suitable for: PhD

Retinal diseases are a leading cause of blindness, affecting millions of Australians and significantly diminishing quality of life. Despite the severity of these conditions, effective treatments remain limited. This PhD project seeks to transform retinal disease treatment by harnessing exosomes—naturally occurring extracellular vesicles—as precise drug delivery tools to restore vision and prevent blindness.

Focusing on Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel), an incurable retinal condition characterised by low serine levels and harmful deoxysphingolipid (deoxySL) buildup, the project aims to engineer exosomes that deliver supplemental serine directly to affected retinal cells. By normalising serine levels and reducing deoxySL toxicity, this innovative approach offers a promising alternative to existing therapies and potential applications for other retinal diseases.

The successful candidate will develop and test this exosome-based therapy in preclinical models, gaining expertise in cutting-edge drug delivery systems for retinal research. This groundbreaking project has the potential to significantly advance treatments for blinding conditions, improving patient outcomes and quality of life.