For 47 years, Retina UK has funded the best science, searching for genes and treatments for everyone living with inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs). Support the search for treatments for everyone; join our campaign to build the ultimate 'Gene Team' of tomorrow.
In recent years there has been a huge acceleration into different treatment approaches for IRDs and the underlying causes of progressive sight loss. It’s an incredibly exciting time, but we need to keep the momentum going.
Nurturing a new generation of scientists is vital to the future of retinal disease research. We have recently teamed up with the Macular Society to fund a record three PhD studentships. These early career scientists will take the baton of sight loss research into the future.
With your support we can fund even more scientists and even more research. I know that times are so tough for everyone at the moment, but if you are able to make a donation, we can make sure that research continues and treatments are found faster.
This funding will enable us to use state-of-the-art technologies to understand whether it will be possible to rewrite the genetic code in patients living with Stargardt’s disease.Jacqueline van der Spuy
Prof Jacqueline van der Spuy (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) will supervise a student to explore the use of prime editing to correct the most severe mutations causing Stargardt disease. Find out more
We hope this work will enable us to better understand these symptoms and what underlies them. This will improve our understanding of the condition, and in turn this will allow us to better inform patients.Omar Mahroo
Prof Omar Mahroo (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) will lead a study to better understand how specific visual symptoms are linked to the diagnosis and prognosis of macular degeneration. Find out more
This funding will allow us to better understand what goes wrong in cone cells when RPGR is mutated. It is hoped that by doing so, we might identify targets for treatment.Roly Megaw
Dr Roly Megaw (Edinburgh University) will supervise an investigation of how particular mutations in the RPGR gene impact cone photoreceptors. Find out more
Nurturing a new generation of scientists is a vital investment in the future of retinal disease research, so we are delighted to be funding, in collaboration with the Macular Society, a new PhD studentship at Oxford University, supervised by Professor Robert MacLaren.
Elena Piotter, a PhD student working in Robert MacLaren’s group in the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, is currently researching DNA and RNA base editing tools aiming to correct pathogenic mutations in ABCA4.
