Disability sector calling for cost of living support
Retina UK has joined with more than 80 disability charities who have today written to the Chancellor calling for urgent support with the cost of living for disabled people.
Search
Search results
Research brings hope for the future
“All the promising research makes you feel like there is light at the end of that very dark tunnel after all.”
Exciting developments for new treatment research
In recent years there has, understandably, been a lot of excitement around cutting-edge therapies that target the specific genetic faults underlying inherited sight loss.
Your donations make progress possible
Your generous support allows Retina UK to fund the work of leading scientists who are increasing understanding of inherited sight loss and moving us closer to treatments.
Inheritance patterns
Your doctor or genetic counsellor will spend some time asking about other people in your family to try to work out the way in which your particular faulty gene has been passed down through the generations – this is referred to as the inheritance pattern.
Why genes matter
Genes exist inside all the cells that make up your body. They contain genetic code (DNA) and provide instructions for constructing proteins, which are the building blocks of our bodies and perform a huge variety of roles.
Meet our community: Bhavini Makwana
Bhavini was diagnosed with RP in 1997 aged 17. The consultant who confirmed her diagnosis told her that “there was no cure or treatment and she should prepare to go blind".
Genetics and gene therapy
When we talk about gene therapy we are usually referring to use of a harmless virus, called a vector, to deliver a normal copy of a defective gene into the cells of the eye.
Stem cells
Stem cells are a special type of cell, which under the right conditions can be encouraged to grow into any other type of cell in the body, including retinal cells (rods, cones and retinal pigment epithelial cells).
Research grants
Retina UK aims not only to progress research along established threads, but to stimulate new thinking, encourage innovative approaches and nurture original ideas.