Artur V. Cideciyan

faculty photo
Research Professor of Ophthalmology
Co-Director, Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Ophthalmology
Graduate Group Affiliations

Contact information
Scheie Eye Institute
51 N. 39th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-662-9986
Education:
B.S. (Mechanical Engineering)
University of Miami, 1986.
M.S. (Biomedical Engineering)
University of Miami, 1988.
Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering)
University of Miami, 1992.
Post-Graduate Training
Research Associate, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami, 1992-1993.
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Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Cideciyan’s primary research interests involve understanding of disease mechanisms in human hereditary retinal degenerations and evaluation of mechanism-specific treatments in these blinding conditions. This is accomplished by the use of non-invasive surrogate measures of biochemical and morphological abnormalities of the retina and the RPE. Knowledge obtained from human retinopathies is also used to glean molecular foundations of normal human vision. Furthermore, studies performed in parallel with non-invasive experimental methods in animal models of these human diseases are used to determine the correspondence between the models and the patients, and pre-clinical therapeutic strategies are tested as appropriate.

Research methods of the laboratory include imaging, electrophysiology and psychophysics as well as mathematical modeling and software development. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) based methods are used to define retinal structure and light scatter characteristics; autofluorescence imaging based methods are used to elucidate RPE abnormalities; electroretinogram (ERG) photoresponses and psychophysical methods are used understand global and local rod and cone photoreceptor dysfunction; and pupillary imaging is used to define post-retinal visual function.

Key Words
Retinal degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), photoreceptors, visual cycle, rhodopsin, autofluorescence, lipofuscin, melanin, optical coherence tomography, dark adaptation, electroretinography, pupilometry, ABCA4, ABCR, CEP290, GUCY2D, RHO, RPGR, RPE65

Description of Itmat Expertise

Understanding of disease mechanisms in human hereditary retinal degenerations and evaluation of the outcomes of experimental treatments. Examination of animal models, comparison of their phenotype to the human patients, and evaluation of pre-clinical therapeutic strategies in animal models. Expertise involves use of engineering principles together with understanding of visual physiology to design tests, build new equipment or perform new analyses. Research methods include imaging, electrophysiology and psychophysics as well as mathematical modeling and software development.

Selected Publications

CIDECIYAN AV, Sudharsan R, Dufour VL, Massengill MT, Iwabe S, Swider M, Lisi B, Sumaroka A, Marinho LF, Appelbaum T, Rossmiller B, Hauswirth WW, Jacobson SG, Lewin AS, Aguirre GD, Beltran WA: Mutation-independent rhodopsin gene therapy by knockdown and replacement with a single AAV vector. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 115: E8547-E8556, 2018.

Jacobson SG, CIDECIYAN AV, Ho AC, Roman AJ, Wu V, Garafalo AV, Sumaroka A, Krishnan AK, Swider M, Mascio AA, Kay CN, Yoon D, Fujita KP, Boye SL, Peshenko IV, Dizhoor AM, Boye SE.: Night vision restored in days after decades of congenital blindness. iScience 25: 105274, Oct 2022.

CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Sumaroka A, Swider M, Krishnan AK, Sheplock R, Garafalo AV, Guziewicz KE, Aguirre GD, Beltran WA, Matsui Y, Kondo M, Heon E.: Photoreceptor function and structure in retinal degenerations caused by biallelic BEST1 mutations. Vision Research 203: 108157, 2023.

CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Swider M, Sumaroka A, Sheplock R, Krishnan AK, Garafalo AV, Guziewicz KE, Aguirre GD, Beltran WA, Heon E.: Photoreceptor function and structure in autosomal dominant vitelliform macular dystrophy caused by BEST1 mutations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 63: 12, Dec 2022.

CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Ho AC, Krishnan AK, Roman AJ, Garafalo AV, Wu V, Swider M, Sumaroka A, Van Cauwenbergh C, Russell SR, Drack AV, Leroy BP, Schwartz MR, Girach A.: Restoration of cone sensitivity to individuals with congenital photoreceptor blindness within the phase 1/2 sepofarsen trial. Ophthalmology Science 2: 100133, 2022.

CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Wu V, Charng J, Lisi B, Swider M, Aguirre GD, Beltran WA.: Rod function deficit in retained photoreceptors of patients with class B Rhodopsin mutations. Scientific Reports 10: 12552, 2020.

CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Ho AC, Garafalo AV, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Krishnan AK, Swider M, Schwartz MR, Girach A.: Durable vision improvement after a single treatment with antisense oligonucleotide sepofarsen: a case report. Nature Medicine 27: 785-789, 2021.

CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Drack AV, Ho AC, Charng J, Garafalo AV, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, et al, Leroy BP, Russell SR: Effect of an intravitreal antisense oligonucleotide on vision in Leber congenital amaurosis due to a photoreceptor cilium defect. Nature Medicine 25: 225-228, 2019.

Cideciyan AV, Hauswirth WW, Aleman TS, Kaushal S, Schwartz SB, Boye SL, Windsor EAM, Conlon TJ, Sumaroka A, Pang J, Roman AJ, Byrne BJ, Jacobson SG.: Human RPE65 gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis: persistence of early visual improvements and safety at one year. Human Gene Therapy 20: 999-1004, 2009.

Russell SR, Drack AV, CIDECIYAN AV, Jacobson SG, Leroy BP, Van Cauwenbergh C, Ho AC, Dumitrescu AV, Han IC, Martin M, Pfeifer WL, Sohn EH, Walshire J, Garafalo AV, Krishnan AK, Powers CA, Sumaroka A, Roman AJ, Vanhonsebrouck E, Jones E, Nerinckx F, De Zaeytijd J, Collin RWJ, Hoyng C, Adamson P, Cheetham ME, Schwartz MR, den Hollander W, Asmus F, Platenburg G, Rodman D, Girach A.: Intravitreal antisense oligonucleotide sepofarsen in Leber congenital amaurosis type 10: A Phase 1b/2 trial. Nature Medicine 28: 1014-1021, 2022.

Guziewicz KE, CIDECIYAN AV, Beltran WA, Komáromy AM, Dufour VL, Swider M, Iwabe S, Sumaroka A, Kendrick BT, Ruthel G, Chiodo VA, Héon E, Hauswirth WW, Jacobson SG, Aguirre GD: BEST1 gene therapy corrects a diffuse retina-wide microdetachment modulated by light exposure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 115: E2839-E2848, 2018.

Charng J, Jacobson SG, Heon E, Roman AJ, McGuigan DB, Sheplock R, Kosyk MS, Swider M, Cideciyan AV.: Pupillary Light Reflexes in Severe Photoreceptor Blindness Isolate the Melanopic Component of Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 58(7): 3215-3224, 2017.

Beltran WA, Cideciyan AV, Boye SE, Ye G-J, Iwabe S, Dufour VL, Marinho LF, Swider M, Kosyk MS, Sha J, Boye SL, Peterson JJ, Witherspoon CD, Alexander JJ, Ying G-S, Shearman MS, Chulay JD, Hauswirth WW, Gamlin PD, Jacobson SG, Aguirre GD: Optimization of retinal gene therapy for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa due to RPGR mutations. Molecular Therapy 25: 1866-1880, 2017.

Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Sumaroka A, Roman AJ, Charng J, Lu M, Choudhury S, Schwartz SB, Heon E, Fishman GA, Boye SE: Defining Outcomes for Clinical Trials of Leber Congenital Amaurosis Caused by GUCY2D Mutations. American Journal of Ophthalmology 177: 44-57, 2017.

Charng J, Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Sumaroka A, Schwartz SB, Swider M, Roman AJ, Sheplock R, Anand M, Peden MC, Khanna H, Heon E, Wright AF, Swaroop A: Variegated yet non-random rod and cone photoreceptor disease patterns in RPGR-ORF15-associated retinal degeneration. Human Molecular Genetics 25(24): 5444-5459, 2016.

Cideciyan AV, Roman AJ, Jacobson SG, Yan B, Pascolini M, Charng J, Pajaro S, Nirenberg S : Developing an outcome measure with high luminance for optogenetics treatment of severe retinal degenerations and for gene therapy of cone diseases. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 57(7): 3211-21, 2016.

Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Schwartz SB, Heon E, Hauswirth WW.: Improvement and decline in vision with gene therapy in childhood blindness. New England Journal of Medicine 372: 1920-1926, 2015.

Cideciyan AV, Aguirre GK, Jacobson SG, Butt OH, Schwartz SB, Swider M, Roman AJ, Sadigh S, Hauswirth WW.: Pseudo-fovea formation after gene therapy for RPE65-LCA. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 56: 526-537, 2015.

Beltran WA, Cideciyan AV, Guziewicz KE, Iwabe S, Swider M, Scott EM, Savina SV, Ruthel G, Stefano F, Zhang L, Zorger R, Sumaroka A, Jacobson SG, Aguirre GD: Canine retina has a primate fovea-like bouquet of cone photoreceptors which is affected by inherited macular degenerations. PloS One 9(3): e90390, 2014.

Cideciyan AV, Hufnagel RB, Carroll J, Sumaroka A, Luo X, Schwartz SB, Dubra A, Land M, Michaelides M, Gardner JC, Hardcastle AJ, Moore AT, Sisk RA, Ahmed ZM, Kohl S, Wissinger B, Jacobson SG.: Human cone visual pigment deletions spare sufficient photoreceptors to warrant gene therapy. Human Gene Therapy 24(12): 993-1006, 2013.

Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Beltran WA, Sumaroka A, Swider M, Iwabe S, Roman AJ, Olivares MB, Schwartz SB, Komaromy AM, Hauswirth WW, Aguirre GD.: Human retinal gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis shows advancing retinal degeneration despite enduring visual improvement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 110: E517-25, 2013.

Beltran WA, Cideciyan AV, Lewin AS, Iwabe1 S, Khanna H, Sumaroka A, Chiodo VA, Fajardo DS, Román AJ, Deng W-T, Swider M, Alemán TS, Boye SL, Genini S, Swaroop A, Hauswirth WW, Jacobson SG, Aguirre GD.: Gene therapy rescues photoreceptor blindness in dogs and paves the way for treating human X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 109: 2132-2137, 2012.

Cideciyan AV, Swider M, Aleman TS, Feuer WJ, Schwartz SB, Russell RC, Steinberg JD, Stone EM, Jacobson SG.: Macular function in macular degenerations: Repeatability of microperimetry as a potential outcome measure for ABCA4-associated retinopathy trials. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 53: 841-852, 2012.

Cideciyan AV, Rachel RA, Aleman TS, Swider M, Schwartz SB, Sumaroka A, Roman AJ, Stone EM, Jacobson SG, Swaroop A: Cone photoreceptors are the main targets for gene therapy of NPHP5 (IQCB1) or NPHP6 (CEP290) blindness: generation of an all-cone Nphp6 hypomorph mouse that mimics the human retinal ciliopathy. Human Molecular Genetics 20: 1411-14123, 2011.

Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Ratnakaram R, Heon E, Schwartz SB, Roman AJ, Peden MC, Aleman TS, Boye SL, Sumaroka A, Conlon TJ, Calcedo R, Pang J-J, Erger KE, Olivares MB, Mullins CL, Swider M, Kaushal S, Feuer WJ, Iannaccone A, Fishman GA, Stone EM, Byrne BJ, Hauswirth WW: Gene Therapy for Leber Congenital Amaurosis Caused by RPE65 Mutations: Safety and Efficacy in 15 Children and Adults Followed Up to 3 Years. Archives of Ophthalmology 130: 9-24, 2012.

CIDECIYAN AV: Leber congenital amaurosis due to RPE65 mutations and its treatment with gene therapy. Progress in Retinal & Eye Research 29: 398-427, 2010.

Cideciyan AV, Hauswirth WW, Aleman TS, Kaushal S, Schwartz SB, Boye SL, Windsor EAM, Conlon TJ, Sumaroka A, Roman AJ, Byrne BJ, Jacobson SG. : Vision 1 year after gene therapy for Leber’s congenital amaurosis. New England Journal of Medicine 361: 725-727, 2009.

Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Boye SL, Schwartz SB, Kaushal S, Roman AJ, Pang J-j, Sumaroka A, Windsor EAM, Wilson JM, Flotte TR, Fishman GA, Heon E, Stone EM, Byrne BJ, Jacobson SG, Hauswirth WW.: Human gene therapy for RPE65 isomerase deficiency activates the retinoid cycle of vision but with slow rod kenetics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105: 15112-15117, 2008.

Cideciyan AV, Swider M, Aleman TS, Tsybovsky Y, Schwartz SB, Windsor EA, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Steinberg JD, Jacobson SG, Stone EM, Palczewski K. : ABCA4 disease progression and a proposed strategy for gene therapy. Human Molecular Genetics 18: 931-941, 2009.

Cideciyan AV, Swider M, Aleman TS, Roman MI, Sumaroka A, Schwartz SB, Stone EM, Jacobson SG.: Reduced-illuminance autofluorescence imaging in ABCA4-associated retinal degenerations. Journal of the Optical Society of America, A 24(5): 1457-67, 2007.

Aleman TS, Cideciyan AV, Windsor EAM, Schwartz SB, Swider M, Chico JD, Sumaroka A, Pantelyat AY, Duncan KG, Gardner LM, Emmons JM, Steinberg JD, Stone EM, Jacobson SG.: Macular pigment and lutein supplementation in ABCA4-associated retinal degenerations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 48(3): 1319-29, 2007.

Cideciyan AV, Swider M, Aleman TS, Sumaroka A, Schwartz SB, Roman MI, Milam AH, Bennett J, Stone EM, Jacobson SG.: ABCA4-associated retinal degenerations spare structure and function of the human parapapillary retina. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 46(12): 4739-46, 2005.

Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Aleman TS, Gu D, Pearce-Kelling SE, Sumaroka A, Acland GM, Aguirre GD.: In vivo dynamics of retinal injury and repair in the rhodopsin mutant dog model of human retinitis pigmentosa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 102(14): 5233-8, 2005.

Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Swider M, Schwartz SB, Steinberg JD, Brucker AJ, Maguire AM, Bennett J, Stone EM, Jacobson SG. : Mutations in ABCA4 result in accumulation of lipofuscin before slowing of the retinoid cycle: A reappraisal of the human disease sequence. Human Molecular Genetics 13: 525-534, 2004.

Kijas JW, Cideciyan AV, Aleman TS, Pianta MJ, Pearce-Kelling SE, Miller BJ, Jacobson SG, Aguirre GD and Acland GM.: Naturally occurring rhodopsin mutation in the dog causes retinal dysfunction and degeneration mimicking human dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 99: 6328-6333, 2002.

Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Gupta N, Osawa S, Locke KG, Weiss ER, Wright AF, Birch DG, Milam AH. : Cone deactivation kinetics and GRK1/GRK7 expression in enhanced S cone syndrome caused by mutations in NR2E3. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 44: 1268-1274, 2003.

Cideciyan AV. : In vivo assessment of photoreceptor function in human diseases caused by photoreceptor-specific gene mutations. Methods in Enzymology 316: 611-626, 2000.

Aleman TS, LaVail MM, Montemayor R, Ying G-S., Maguire MM, Laties AM, Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV. : Augmented rod bipolar cell function in partial photoreceptor loss: an ERG study in P23H rhodopsin transgenic and aging normal rats. Vision Research 41: 2779-2797, 2001.

Cideciyan AV, Haeseleer F, Fariss RN, Aleman TS, Jang G-F, Verlinde CLMJ, Marmor MF, Jacobson SG, Palczewski K.: Rod and cone visual cycle consequences of a null mutation in the 11-cis-retinol dehydrogenase gene in man. Visual Neuroscience 17: 667-678, 2000.

Cideciyan AV, Lamb TD, Pugh EN Jr, Huang Y, Jacobson SG. : Rod plateaux during dark adaptation in Sorsby's fundus dystrophy and vitamin A deficiency. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 38: 1786-1794, 1997.

Cideciyan AV, Hood DC, Huang Y, Banin E, Li Z-Y, Stone EM, Milam AH, Jacobson SG.: Disease sequence from mutant rhodopsin allele to rod and cone photoreceptor degeneration in man. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95: 7103-7108, 1998.

Cideciyan AV, Zhao X, Nielsen L, Khani SC, Jacobson SG, Palczewski K. : Null mutation in the rhodopsin kinase gene slows recovery kinetics of rod and cone phototransduction in man. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95: 328-333, 1998.

Cideciyan AV and Mayrovitz HN.: Microcomputer assisted determination of regional myocardial function. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing 28: 591-594, 1990.

Cideciyan AV and Jacobson SG. : Image analysis of the tapetal-like reflex in heterozygotes of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 35: 3812-3824, 1994.

Cideciyan AV. : Registration of ocular fundus images by cross-correlation of triple invariant image descriptors. IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology 14: 52-58, 1995.

Cideciyan AV and Jacobson SG. : An alternative phototransduction model for human rod and cone ERG a-waves: normal parameters and variation with age. Vision Research 36: 2609-2621, 1996.

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Last updated: 09/28/2023
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