Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker
Archive for the Gene Therapy 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.
Continue Reading…

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.”
Continue Reading…

First Usher Syndrome Gene Therapy Patient in the News

Image of Test TubeI was very heartened to hear about and then see a recent news story on the first patient to be treated in the Usher syndrome 1B gene therapy clinical trial at Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University. When I saw the big smile on the face of Michelle Kopf, the young woman featured in the article, it brought a smile to my face.
Continue Reading…

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.

Continue Reading…

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.
Continue Reading…

Gene Therapies for Stargardt Disease and Wet AMD Deemed Safe Thus Far

Researcher looking through microscopeIf you’re going on a cross-country road trip, the highlight of your journey is not the safety check. Putting air in the tires, topping off the brake and power-steering fluids, making sure the front and back lights are working properly and adjusting the mirrors are not cause for raucous celebration.
Continue Reading…

A “Bigger Boat” – The Role of Nanoparticle Treatments

NanoparticlesAfter a rigorous review process, the Foundation is funding eight new research projects for a wide range of conditions, including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). You can read about these exciting projects in an article recently posted on the Foundation’s homepage.

Continue Reading…

Retinal Research Developments Go Mainstream (at The Wall Street Journal)

Lab BeakersWe, at Eye on the Cure, like to keep folks up-to-date on the latest retinal research developments, as soon as they’re vetted – meaning verified as legitimate – and/or come in. But we also appreciate when the mainstream media chimes in, especially when they cite the Foundation’s efforts and expertise.

Continue Reading…

Energized and Inspired by the Usher Syndrome Family Conference

VISIONS Guest and Tactile InterpreterLast weekend, I had the privilege of presenting at the third annual Usher Syndrome Family Conference in St. Louis. And while updating the attendees on the latest research was fulfilling, listening to the parents’ panel talk about how Usher syndrome has affected their families was quite moving.
Continue Reading…