The BrightFocus Foundation in Clarksburg, Maryland, has announced grants totaling more than $7.2 million in support of innovative, early-stage research on diseases of the eyes and brain.

Fifty-two scientists in sixteen U.S. states and four other countries were awarded grants to conduct research on Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, and macular degeneration using new tools designed help scientists better understand how diseases affecting the eyes and brain develop. Grants awarded to Alzheimer's researchers will support investigations into whether certain chemicals control the "switches" to so-called memory pathways, the use of cell-based therapies to restore the brain circuits made during memory formation, and how problems with brain blood flow contribute to the disease.

With support from BrightFocus, several glaucoma researchers will examine the mind-eye connection and why changes in the brain may contribute to the development of the disease long before vision loss occurs. Funded macular degeneration research projects will explore, among other things, the mysterious presence of micro RNAs, a large group of small molecules that may affect the functioning of the retina in macular degeneration as well as brain functions in Alzheimer's disease.

Since it was founded in 1973, BrightFocus has awarded $130 million in support of research, including more than $26 million over the past four years for research related to diseases of the brain and eyes.

"Investment in research has advanced our understanding of Alzheimer's and vision diseases," said BrightFocus Foundation president and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. "Now, thanks to new developments in genetics, neurology, and imaging, the potential for scientists to make groundbreaking research discoveries is taking off. BrightFocus Foundation is more committed than ever to making this cutting-edge research possible, particularly at a time when government research funding levels are stagnant."