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Archive for the Stargardt disease Category

Top 12 Research Advancements of 2012

Image of lab beakerAt the Foundation Fighting Blindness, we are always looking forward. Our scientists are continually focused on achieving the next sight-saving breakthrough, and our donors and volunteers are always looking for new opportunities to raise more money to drive the research.

But for a moment, as we put the wraps on 2012, it is very inspiring to look back on the past year and reflect on the many exciting advancements that have been made in our quest for treatments and cures.
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A Very Special Thank You

fall leavesThis week, the Foundation Fighting Blindness has much to be thankful for – its members, the tireless efforts of researchers and, of course, the readers of this blog, many of whom share their interest in our work via social media. But our biggest “thank you” goes to those who are directly affected by retinal diseases and do all they can to help FFB raise funds for research.

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Please Join Us in the “Save Research” Campaign

Save Blindness ResearchWith the elections now behind us, the U.S. Congress needs to address an issue that could delay by years, perhaps even decades, the ability of those with serious diseases to access treatments that will at the very least change their lives for the better, if not save them. The looming “fiscal cliff” – Congress’ current means of tackling a substantial budget deficit – is a combination of tax increases and spending cuts that will kick in January 1, 2013, if no further legislative action is taken. And it’s a huge mistake.
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Six Stories of Hope – A Sampling

Rachel (the shorter of the two) and her  sister, Rebecca, have teamed up for  several athletic events since the end of 2011.Rachel Weeks, who has Usher syndrome – a disease affecting both vision and hearing – is a dedicated triathlete. With guidance from her sister, Rebecca, she runs, swims and bikes her way through triathlons with only a 10-degree field of vision and 30 percent of her hearing. But once, as she prepared to plunge into the water with hundreds of competitors, a woman insisted on congratulating her for her efforts. At that particular moment, it served as a disorienting reminder of the challenges she faces.

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Nobel Prize Winners Have Big Impact on Emerging Retinal Treatments

Video Included:
Shinya Yamanaka, co-winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Medicine.For science geeks like me, the announcement of Nobel Prize for Medicine winners is always exciting news. But this year’s two recipients are especially near and dear to my heart, because their groundbreaking work is having an enormous impact on sight-saving retinal research.

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Save Your Vision Month is Underway

April at a Walmart vision centerThree weeks ago, in recounting my participation in Charity Day at Cantor Fitzgerald, I mentioned that FFB had established October as Save Your Vision Month (SYVM). Well, now it’s here, so I wanted to reiterate what SYVM is all about and how the Foundation has been preparing for it the past couple of weeks.
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As Requested: A List of Current Clinical Trials for Retinal Degenerations

Image of test tubes filled with different colored liquidsWithout a doubt, as chief research officer at FFB, I get more questions about clinical trials – also known as human studies – than any other topic. So, I thought it would be useful to provide a list of the major clinical trials underway right now for retinal disease treatments. Continue Reading…

Kicking Off a Charitable Season

Ryan Lochte, I didn’t get a chance to meet. I did, however, get a picture taken with Michael J. Fox, who was very cordial but focused most of his attention—and rightly so—on a little girl with muscular dystrophy. Now, actor Steve Buscemi is a character and a half. I was there with Leah Bartos, who’s Mrs. New York, and because I’m Mrs. World, and the two of us were wearing crowns and sashes, he took a look at us and, before a photo was snapped, said, “Wow, let me get in between these two ladies.”
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Fighting Blindness in China Will Greatly Benefit the West

Huajin Li and Fei Xu, two of Dr. Sui’s students, standing in front of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Photograph by Dr. Steve Rose.A couple weeks ago, I was in China, to visit with Dr. Ruifang Sui, a Foundation-funded clinician-researcher at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing. During my time there, I felt like I had never left the United States. Don’t get me wrong — there’s no mistaking Beijing for Baltimore (the location of our national office) or Mandarin for English. But when it comes to retinal degenerations, we and the Chinese have a lot in common.

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A Visionary Pair of Glasses May Someday Restore Sight

Video Included:
Sheila Nirenberg
Could the complex function of rods and cones — converting light into signals that the brain can interpret as vision — be replicated in a pair of high-tech glasses? Based on the recent research advances made by Dr. Sheila Nirenberg at Weill Cornell Medical College, it looks like a possibility.
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