Project Grants

Retina UK aims not only to progress research along established threads, but to stimulate new thinking, encourage innovative approaches and nurture original ideas. Our Project Grants support projects of varying length which seek to explore new ideas or test new theories.We have made a commitment to support the talented research teams who are delivering the ground-breaking projects listed below. We are extremely grateful for each and every donation we receive.

Person in white lab coat using a pipette

Development of CRISPR gene therapy for Stargardt disease - PhD studentship
Project start date: October 2020
Prof Robert MacLaren, Oxford University
This study is being funded in collaboration with the Macular Society

We are now supporting a PhD studentship at Oxford University, co-funded by the Macular Society, that will look into a potential new method for treating Stargardt disease and other conditions where “conventional” gene therapy may not be possible. Under the supervision of Prof Robert MacLaren, the student will investigate whether it is possible to use harmless viruses to carry special molecular tools into retinal cells in order to edit and correct the defective genetic code. Rather than targeting DNA, this technique will aim to edit a different molecule called RNA that copies and then carries the genetic instructions from the centre of the cell to the protein building machinery; the original DNA is hence left unaltered and safety may be improved.

Natural exon skipping in ABCA4 mRNA and its modulation as a novel generic therapy for Stargardt disease
Project start date: November 2018
Dr Rob Collin, Radboud University, The Netherlands
This study is being funded in collaboration with the Macular Society

A PhD student supervised by Dr Rob W J Collin at Radboud University in The Netherlands will be studying the different genetic mutations which lead to Stargardt disease – a macular dystrophy which affects people from childhood and for which there is no cure.
Stargardt is usually caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Patients with two severe variants of ABCA4 develop sight loss early, as their code only contains the instructions to make harmful versions of the protein. Other people with a combination of severe and mild mutations produce a mixture of harmful and normal proteins and so tend to avoid symptoms until later.
In some people with later-onset Stargardt, bits of the genetic code are mistakenly “skipped”. So like a recipe with steps missing, the resulting protein doesn’t turn out like it is supposed to.
This project aims to understand how and why bits of the gene are “skipped”, and prevent the misreading of the gene that causes damaging protein versions to be produced. The studentship will enable a promising young scientist to lay the foundations for a future career in inherited sight loss research.

Understanding the disease mechanisms and developing new therapies for RDH12-related Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA)
Project start date: March 2018
Dr Mariya Moosajee, UCL Institute of Opthalmology

LCA is the most severe form of early-onset retinal degeneration. This projects aims to increase knowledge of the molecular basis of this disease and accelerate development of an effective treatment. Dr Moosajee will develop new disease models, one using stem cells derived from a patient with LCA and one in zebrafish, so that both can be used to increase understanding of the effects of the disease-causing mutation in the RDH12 gene and test the potential of new drug and gene editing treatments.

Investigating the role of alternative splicing in autosomal dominant RP using an induced pluripotent stem cell disease model
Project start date: January 2018
Prof Majlinda Lako; Newcastle University

RP is commonly caused by a fault in a group of genes that regulate the editing of unwanted passages out of a set of genetic instructions, a process known as splicing. Already, the team’s work suggests that retinal cells are much more affected by mis-splicing than other types of cell. The team will continue investigating why this goes wrong in RP, and test new gene therapy treatments in a cell model.

Non-viral gene therapy using S/MAR vectors for Usher syndrome.
Project start date: March 2018
Dr Mariya Moosajee; University College London & Moorfields Eye Hospital

This project explores an alternative to traditional gene therapy, which may have implications for a wide range of inherited retinal dystrophies, not just Usher syndrome. S/MAR vectors have the capacity to hold much larger genes, and they have no viral components. The team will explore whether this new approach represents a safe and effective future treatment option.

Modelling effects of TIMP-3 mutations in RPE – insights into Sorsby Fundus dystrophy and night blindness in retinal dystrophies.
Project start date: January 2018
Dr Arjuna Ratnayaka; University of Southampton

This project aims to explore how changes in a protein called TIMP-3 damage the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), leading to Sorsby Fundus dystrophy. The team will also look at whether gene editing technology might be a viable treatment for the condition.

Read the team’s first year project report (2019)

Identification and functional characterisation of the missing ABCA4 variants in Stargardt disease.
Project start date: July 2017
Prof Frans Cremers; Radboud University, The Netherlands

ABCA4 mutations affect the majority of people with recessive Stargardt disease and about 30% of those with con-rod dystrophy. This project aims to develop a cost-effective sequencing method for the entire ABCA4 gene, sequence 1,000 Stargardt’s cases worldwide and finalise a process for testing the effects of mutations. Ultimately the diagnosis of people with an ABCA4 mutation will be improved, and the identification of those suitable for participation in future clinical trials made easier.

Read the team’s second year project report (2019)