Cristhian J Ildefonso

Cristhian J Ildefonso, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department: MD-OPHTHALMOLOGY
Business Phone: (352) 273-8786

Teaching Profile

Courses Taught
2018,2020-2023,2023-2025
GMS6791 Visual Neuroscience Journal Club
2017
GMS6709 Current Topics in Vision
2023-2024
BMS6003 Genetics and Health

Publications

Academic Articles
2025
Mitochondrial DNA Damage in the Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE) and Its Role in RPE Pathobiology.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 1468:375-379 [DOI] 10.1007/978-3-031-76550-6_62. [PMID] 39930225.
2025
Understanding the Different Microglia Functional States to Modulate Their Activity in Retinal Degeneration.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 1468:139-142 [DOI] 10.1007/978-3-031-76550-6_23. [PMID] 39930186.
2023
Binocular benefit following monocular subretinal AAV injection in a mouse model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP).
Vision research. 206 [DOI] 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108189. [PMID] 36773475.
2023
Modulation of Retinal Inflammation Delays Degeneration in a Mouse Model of Geographic Atrophy.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology. [DOI] 10.1101/2023.02.08.527757. [PMID] 36798403.
2023
Overexpression of Nfe2l1 increases proteasome activity and delays vision loss in a preclinical model of human blindness
Science Advances. 9(28) [DOI] 10.1126/sciadv.add5479. [PMID] 37450596.
2023
Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3-derived peptide as a therapeutic for inflammatory and oxidative stress-induced damage to the retina.
Molecular vision. 29:338-356 [PMID] 38264613.
2022
Gene Delivery of a Caspase Activation and Recruitment Domain Improves Retinal Pigment Epithelial Function and Modulates Inflammation in a Mouse Model with Features of Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Journal of ocular pharmacology and therapeutics : the official journal of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 38(5):359-371 [DOI] 10.1089/jop.2022.0002. [PMID] 35446130.
2021
Corneal Application of R9-SOCS1-KIR Peptide Alleviates Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis.
Translational vision science & technology. 10(3) [DOI] 10.1167/tvst.10.3.25. [PMID] 34003962.
2021
Molecular Design and Production of AAV Viral Vectors for Gene Therapy.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 2225:77-92 [DOI] 10.1007/978-1-0716-1012-1_5. [PMID] 33108658.
2020
A C-terminal peptide from type I interferon protects the retina in a mouse model of autoimmune uveitis.
PloS one. 15(2) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0227524. [PMID] 32101556.
2020
Deriving Immune Modulating Drugs from Viruses-A New Class of Biologics.
Journal of clinical medicine. 9(4) [DOI] 10.3390/jcm9040972. [PMID] 32244484.
2020
Inhibitors of metalloprotease, γ-sectretase, protein kinase C and Rho kinase inhibit wild-type adenoviral replication
PLOS ONE. 15(7) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0236175. [PMID] 32697798.
2020
Sectoral activation of glia in an inducible mouse model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.
Scientific reports. 10(1) [DOI] 10.1038/s41598-020-73749-y. [PMID] 33046772.
2019
AAV Mediated Delivery of Myxoma Virus M013 Gene Protects the Retina against Autoimmune Uveitis
Journal of Clinical Medicine. 8(12) [DOI] 10.3390/jcm8122082. [PMID] 31795515.
2019
Co-Delivery of a Short-Hairpin RNA and a shRNA-Resistant Replacement Gene with Adeno-Associated Virus: An Allele-Independent Strategy for Autosomal-Dominant Retinal Disorders.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 1937:235-258 [DOI] 10.1007/978-1-4939-9065-8_15. [PMID] 30706401.
2019
Expression of a CARD Slows the Retinal Degeneration of a Geographic Atrophy Mouse Model.
Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development. 14:113-125 [DOI] 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.06.001. [PMID] 31334304.
2019
Mitochondrial oxidative stress in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) led to metabolic dysfunction in both the RPE and retinal photoreceptors.
Redox biology. 24 [DOI] 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101201. [PMID] 31039480.
2019
Systematic Injection of Low-Dose LPS Transiently Improves the Retina Function and Structure of a Mouse Model of Geographic Atrophy.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 1185:57-62 [DOI] 10.1007/978-3-030-27378-1_10. [PMID] 31884589.
2018
A cell penetrating peptide from SOCS-1 prevents ocular damage in experimental autoimmune uveitis
Experimental Eye Research. 177:12-22 [DOI] 10.1016/j.exer.2018.07.020. [PMID] 30048621.
2018
Adeno-Associated Virus Delivery of Viral Serpins for Ocular Diseases: Design and Validation.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 1826:237-254 [DOI] 10.1007/978-1-4939-8645-3_16. [PMID] 30194605.
2018
Clinically Relevant Outcome Measures for the I307N Rhodopsin Mouse: A Model of Inducible Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 59(13):5417-5430 [DOI] 10.1167/iovs.18-25345. [PMID] 30452595.
2018
Neuroinflammation in Retinitis Pigmentosa, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Minireview.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 1074:185-191 [DOI] 10.1007/978-3-319-75402-4_23. [PMID] 29721943.
2017
Timing of Antioxidant Gene Therapy: Implications for Treating Dry AMD.
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 58(2):1237-1245 [DOI] 10.1167/iovs.16-21272. [PMID] 28241311.
2016
Conditional Induction of Oxidative Stress in RPE: A Mouse Model of Progressive Retinal Degeneration.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 854:31-7 [DOI] 10.1007/978-3-319-17121-0_5. [PMID] 26427390.
2016
Repurposing an orally available drug for the treatment of geographic atrophy.
Molecular vision. 22:294-310 [PMID] 27110092.
2016
Targeting the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in the Retina With a Gene-Delivered Secretable and Cell-Penetrating Peptide.
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 57(2):372-86 [DOI] 10.1167/iovs.15-17703. [PMID] 26842755.
2016
The NLRP3 Inflammasome and its Role in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 854:59-65 [DOI] 10.1007/978-3-319-17121-0_9. [PMID] 26427394.
2015
Gene delivery of a viral anti-inflammatory protein to combat ocular inflammation.
Human gene therapy. 26(1):59-68 [DOI] 10.1089/hum.2014.089. [PMID] 25420215.
2015
Gene therapy with the caspase activation and recruitment domain reduces the ocular inflammatory response.
Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy. 23(5):875-884 [DOI] 10.1038/mt.2015.30. [PMID] 25698151.
2015
Systemic treatment with a 5HT1a agonist induces anti-oxidant protection and preserves the retina from mitochondrial oxidative stress.
Experimental eye research. 140:94-105 [DOI] 10.1016/j.exer.2015.07.022. [PMID] 26315784.
2014
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between complement factor H I62V polymorphism and risk of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Asian populations.
PloS one. 9(2) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0088324. [PMID] 24520367.
2012
The liberation of CD44 intracellular domain modulates adenoviral vector transgene expression.
The Journal of biological chemistry. 287(39):32697-707 [PMID] 22865879.
2010
Absence of systemic immune response to adenovectors after intraocular administration to children with retinoblastoma.
Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy. 18(10):1885-90 [DOI] 10.1038/mt.2010.139. [PMID] 20606647.
2006
Altered subcellular signaling in murine peritoneal macrophages upon chronic morphine exposure.
Journal of neuroimmunology. 176(1-2):86-94 [PMID] 16750574.

Grants

Jan 2025 ACTIVE
TESTING ANTISENSE OLIGOS (ASO) IN THE RHO(T17M) MOUSE MODEL OF RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: AMBER VALLEY ENTERPRISES
Jul 2019 – Jul 2022
Gene Therapy for Bestrophinopathies – Silent and Replace BEST
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: IVERIC BIO
Jul 2017 – Sep 2019
Local and Systemic Inflammation in a Mouse Model of RPE-oxidative Damage
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: BRIGHTFOCUS FOU
Aug 2016 – Jul 2022
Testing Gene Therapy in Models of Geographic Atrophy
Role: Faculty
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NEI

Education

Ph.D.
2005-2011 · Baylor College of Medicine
B.Sc.
1999-2005 · University of Puerto Rico – San Juan

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 273-8786
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
PO Box 100284
GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Business Street:
1395 CENTER DR HSC RM M-119
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001