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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).

This edition includes exciting news about our Annual and Professionals’ Conferences. We hope as many of you as possible can join us in Manchester, or online, in September. You’ll also find updates about the latest research and a feature on one of our funded researchers, Dr Jörn Lakowski.

• Look Forward
• Audio
• Written

Biotechnology company ProQR has announced encouraging results from its phase 1/2 clinical trial of an innovative treatment for sight loss caused by faults in a specific section of the USH2A gene.

• News

Inherited progressive sight loss is caused by a range of rare genetic conditions. We specialise in those which affect the retina.

Retina UK is delighted to announce that it has awarded three new research grants worth more than £870,000.

• News
• Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA)
• Retinitis pigmentosa

Our volunteers are highly valued members of the Retina UK team and their roles are essential to help support and enable people affected by inherited sight loss to live fulfilling lives.

• Impact Report
• Audio
• Written

Early results from clinical testing of a gene therapy to treat X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) have shown partial reversal of sight loss in some patients.

• News
• Retinitis pigmentosa

Several groups around the world are investigating the use of retinal transplantation in the treatment of inherited retinal diseases.

You may have heard that a cell-based treatment approach (sometimes referred to as a “stem cell treatment”), developed by a company called ReNeuron, is being tested in a clinical trial at Oxford Eye Hospital and other centres in the US and Europe.

• News
• Retinitis pigmentosa