Newsletter

Summer 2011NewsletterPrevent Blindness America

211 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1700, Chicago, Illinois 60606© 2011 Prevent Blindness America. All Rights Reserved

Progress towards treating

eye conditionsAn inherited (genetic) disorder

is a conditionthat may be passed on from parents to

children through their genes. For some,inherited eye conditions can mean little or no sight from a very young age. For others, theycan lead to a gradual reduction in sight. Thereis currently no cure for these conditions.Recent years have seen major advancesin our understand-ing of inherited retinaldiseases such as Leber’s congenital

amourosis (LCA), retinitis pig-mentosa (RP),choroideremia and Stargardt’s disease.

By investing in research we are able toidentify some of the genes responsible for these conditions, to identify patients withthe conditions and to develop and pioneernew treatments. Some of these are al-readyat or close to a stage where they are being\

trialled in patients. With your support we cancontinue to fund life-changing work like this.Turn to page 2 for examples of how a num-berof Fight for Sight funded pro-jects are takingreal steps to make a difference.

Fight for Sight funded PhD stu-dent DanielLipinski was awarded the Young Investigator’s

Award in Visual Science at this year’s Asia-ARVO international conference in Singapore,the pre-mier eye research meeting in Asia.This award recognises the contri-bution ofexceptional young scien-tists working in thefield of vision research.Daniel presented findings from his work at theNuffield Labo-ratory of Ophthalmology, part of

the University of Oxford, where he is supervisedby Professor Robert MacLaren. His researchis looking at ways of preventing loss of cone-sin the retina which can cause sight loss. Thiscould lead to potential gene therapy treatmentsfor condi-tions like retinitis pigmentosa.He said: “The first year of my PhD has goneextremely well, and it is an hon-our to havereceived an international award for my work. Icannot thank Fight for Sight enough for givingme this opportunity.”With your support the charity is committed to encour-aging young graduates like Daniel to take up and continue a career in ophthalmology and vision research.

International

research prize for

Fight for Sight PhD

student

1Summer 2011 Newsletter

Screening patients for retinal DiseaseOngoing work funded by Fight for Sight, led by Professor Tony Moore, at the UCL

Institute of Ophthalmology is looking to identify the genetic faults causing retinaldiseases, including LCA. The project involves documenting the effects on ret-

inal function and identifying patients who could benefit from gene therapy. This work could have a profound impact on childhood blindness. Working with Profes-sor Moore, Dr Michel Michaelides is researching a gene therapy replacement for an inherited eye condition called achromatopsia, in which there is an absence of cone photoreceptor cells in the retina. It causes colour blindness, sensitivity to light and profound visual loss from infancy. This work is looking to identify people with the disease who still have some functioning cone photoreceptors and may be suitable for clinical trials planned for the near future. Dr Marko Nardini, from the UCL Insti-tute of Ophthalmology has recently been awarded a grant to develop new methods for measuring retinal function in young children at risk of sight loss from inherited conditions such as RP. By accurately measuring changes in their vision, he hopes to better understand the link between these changes and the development of different inherited disorders. These tests will be used to measure the visual outcomes of new treatments such as gene replacement therapy for children with inherited retinal dis-orders.

Developing therapies to restore Sight

Dr Jane Sowden and her colleagues at the UCL Institute of Child Health have made

great progress towards the development of a new stem cell treatment for inherit-edretinal disease. They have now success-fully transplanted photoreceptor cells into a modelof LCA, where these cells are de-fective. Theyare now working to assess how much visioncan be improved. It is hoped this approachwill lead to clinical trials in the near future.

Developments in treatments for choroideremia and Stargardt’s disease

Professor Robert MacLaren at the Universityof Oxford is plan-ning to start the first genereplace-ment therapy trial for choroi-deremiaand with funding from Fight for Sight he iscontinuing his research to develop a gener-eplacement therapy for Stargardt’s disease.Both choroideremia and Stargardt’s diseaseare inherited retinal conditions causingprogres-sive loss of vision.

2 Summer 2011 Newsletter

Better care for inherited retinal diseaseWork led by Professor Graeme Black atthe University of Manches-ter is looking to develop an effective model of care provision for families with genetic eye conditions. This will cover genetic counseling and testing.

Success in gene therapy trialsSteven from Bolton received treat-ment as part of the first gene ther-apy clinical trial for retinal disease at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Only patients with a rare genetic fault causing their retinal disease were suitable for the trial and Steven and other suitable patients were identi-fied with funding from Fight for Sight. Following this groundbreak-ing treatment, Steven benefited from an improvement in his night vision and was able to walk around in the dark in confidence, which he hadn’t been able to do so previously.

Age-related macular degenerationIn AMD, the macula - a small part of the retina at the back of the eye - starts to degenerate with age affect-ing our ability to see detail. It is the leading cause of sight loss in people aged over 60 in the UK. Dr Heping Xu and Dr Mei Chen from Queen’sUniversity Belfast are investigating links between the body’s immune system and AMD. They are looking to gain a better understanding of the role of white blood cells and com-plement proteins in the develop-ment of AMD, which is crucial for developing new treatments to im-prove the immune system’s response to the condition.

Research newsTackling the leading causes of sight loss With your support, Fight for Sight has committed new funding for research into cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degenera-tion, the most common causes of sight loss according to the World Health Organisation.


Supporting babies and young children

A project taking place at Great Or-mond Street Hospital and led by Dr Naomi Dale and Dr Alison Salt is studying the early development and support of babies with a visual im-pairment. The findings are likely to increase our understanding about the best ways to give them the vi-tal support they need in the pre-cious early years of life. The team are keen to recruit families of visu-ally impaired babies aged between 0-15 months from across England and Wales. To find out more contact Dr Elena Sakkalou or Dr Michelle O’Reilly on 020 7599 4124. The pro-ject is a partnership between Fight for Sight, RNIB, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and the Developmental Vision team at Great Ormond Street Hospital/ University College London and the Institute of Child Health.Support from trusts and companies

Improving the success of cataract surgeryPCO (Posterior Capsule Opacification) or ‘after-cataract’ is a common complication of cataract surgery. The operation is usually reliable but prob-lems can arise when cells that remain rapidly divide and cover the surface of the new artificial lens, causing further problems with vision. Professor Roy Quinlan from Durham University is working with Dr Noemi Lois from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to examine why these complications occur. This exciting work could not only prevent complications in the future, but has the potential to enable researchers to ‘grow’ new, living lenses, which could be used in cataract surgery in the future.

Preventing optic nerve damage in glaucomaIncreased pressure in the eye is a major risk factor for glaucoma and can lead to permanent damage to the optic nerve which results in sight loss. Dr Craig Boote and Professor Keith Meek from Cardiff University’s School of Optometry and Vision Sciences have been awarded a grant to study the structure and properties of the sclera(the white of the eye, which supports the optic nerve) to identify changes that may lead to optic nerve damage. These findings will be important in the development of new treatments.

Trust support for Dundee project

The R S MacDonald Charitable Trust has donated £20,000 towards Professor Irwin McLean’s research at the University of Dundee. The research will focus on ways to treat inherited eye diseases such as cor-neal dystrophies through gene therapy. The Trust has donated over £250,000 to Fight for Sight over the last nine years. Visit www.fightfor-sight.org.uk for information on the charity’s research programme.


Glasgow company offers visionary supportEmployees of Glasgowbased eye care service Vision Care at Home have chosento support Fight for Sight as their Charity of the Year. Gary Maitles, Business Development Manager at Vision Care at Home, said today: “We are all very excited to have Fight for Sight as our Charity of the Year – as well as raising substantial funds we hope that we can raise the profile of their incredible work.”

Rosetrees Trust awards grant

The Rosetrees Trust has agreed to support research into the use of lasers to treat age-related macu-lar degeneration led by Professor Glen Jeffery at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. The Trust has do-nated nearly £200,000 to fund eye research projects at Fight for Sight since 1996.

Fundraising newsCarrots Nightwalk – see London in the dark!Join Fight for Sight for a 15-mile sponsored walk at night in London on Friday 23 September to raise funds for eye research. This brand new event will start at the iconic BFI IMAX on London’s South Bank and take in some of the city’s most spec-tacular night-time sights. Call 0800 690 6140 for more information or go online at www.fightforsight.org.uk/carrots.

Dickens view wins photo comp!We received some fantastic entries for our 2011 My View of London photography competition. Nick Gommon from London was award-ed first prize from more than 1,100 entries with his atmospheric shot of the Thames (pictured right). He won a two-night stay at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London hotel and a digital SLR camera kindly do-nated by Sony.

Fight for Sight promotes good eye healthNational Eye Health Week in June saw eye care charities, organisations and health professionals from across the UK come together to promote the importance of good eye health and the need for regular sight tests. During the week Fight for Sight un-veiled its new and exciting flagship event, the Carrots Nightwalk. See page 5 for more information.


Cake sales raise vital funds!Charles Medhurst (pictured) baked some delicious cakes and invited his friends andneighbours in Greenwich to sample the delights, raising £342. Charles has supported the charity for over 20 years through coffee mornings as

well as running the LondonMarathon! Events like these are so important in helping fund vital eye research. We would love to hear from you if you would like to sup-port our work by organising your own event.

Quiz and chips night!Mrs Rosemary Rushbrook (pictured) and friends will be organising an-other ‘quiz and chips’ night in aid of Fight for Sight. The night will be held at the Sprowston Senior Citizens’ Club, Norwich on 8 October. Call Rose-mary on 01603 419 334 for more information. If you would like to be added to the mailing list for other events in Norfolk email Jane Ridley at [email protected].

Guernsey group cycle for sight!The Guernsey Bicycle Group hosted a Bike-athon in aid of Fight for Sight in June. The event, organised by Francis Paul (pictured) and friends, in-volved nine sponsored teams taking part in the cycling challenge at the Delancey Park cycle track and raised over £2,500. Francis was motivated to raise funds as his wife’s 19-year-old niece was recently registered blind.

Sisters cycle at night for sight!Four sisters, Emily, Jessica, Katy and Lucy Allen completed Nightrider 2011 for Fight for Sight – a 100km cycle ride around London at night. They raised more than £850 for eye research. Their grandmother suffers from macular disease, so support-ingeye research is very close to their hearts. Lucy said: “Our Gran’s sight loss has recently gotten a lot worse and she is very nearly completely blind. We are an incredibly close family so not only has it changed her life, it affects all of us. We do what we can to help each other and this was our way of making a differ-ence.” If you would like to to take part in a sponsored event visit www.fightforsight.org.uk or call Jo Bell on 020 7264 3900.

Fundraising news


Football fundraiser supports Stargardt’s

research18 teams competed in a football tournament in June organised by Izzy Cameron and her family in aid of Fight for Sight. Three years ago, Izzy’s eleven-year-old stepson Rob-bie was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease - an inherited eye condition.There is currently no cure for Star-gardt’s disease. As mentioned on page 2, Fight for Sight is supporting Professor Robert MacLaren at the University of Oxford to develop a new genetherapy treatment which could re-place the defective genes which cause the condition with healthy ones. This year Izzy and her family have organised a series of fundrais-ing events, including the football tournament, to support this research which could one day help Robbie and others affected by Stargardt’s. Since he was diagnosed, Robbie has lost his central vision and has to rely entirely on his peripheral vi-sion. Izzy said: “The way Robbie has adapted to the changes in his vision is fantastic but because there is no way to treat the disease, it is likely to have a significant impact on what he is able to do as he gets older. It is so important to support research look-ing at potential treatments for Star-gardt’s and Robbie’s friends, family and school have all been incredibly

Teeing off for sight!The Fight for Sight Warwickshire Committee organised their annual golf day in July raising over £12,000. The Committee welcomed golfers from around the country to take part in their golfing fundraiser at Stone-leigh Deer Park Golf Club. After completing an 18-hole course, the

golfers and members of the Com-mittee enjoyed dinner in the Club House followed by a tombola and fundraising auction. The winners of the day’s golfing challenges were also presented with their prizes by Clive Stone (far left) and Francesca Marenghi.

Choroideremia Committee raises more than £200,000Choroideremia is a rare inherited eye disorder that causes progressive sight loss. The Tommy Salisbury Choroideremia Committee was set up by the family and friends of Tommy Salisbury who is affected by the condition. Funds raised are sup-porting theresearch being carried out by Profes-sor Miguel Seabra at Imperial Col-

lege London investigating the use of gene therapy in treating choroidere-mia. The Committee has now raised more than £200,000 for research through many fantastic fundraising events. Recently a team took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds and the Committee held their annual golf day at Shooters Hill Golf Club. (pictured right).


e-newsEvery two months the Fight for Sight e-newsletter brings our sup-porters information about research, up and coming events and fundrais-ing activities. To sign up visit www.fightforsight.org.uk or email [email protected].

Make a regular donationMaking a donation by Direct Debit is one way to regularly support Fight for Sight, enabling us to plan more effectively for long-term projects. It is also a very efficientway of supporting our work, cutting down on administration and ena-blingmore money to be spent on sight-saving research. If you would like to set up a regular gift please contact Gemma Leary on 020 7264 3900 or [email protected].

Leaving a gift for the futureLeaving a gift in your will is a mean-ingful way to support eye research beyond your lifetime. Gifts in wills have helped to enable a number of Fight for Sight’s achievements to date. These include:• establishing the UK Corneal Transplant Service enabling over 48,000 transplants• providing £1 million for research at the children’s eye centre at Moor-fields Eye Hospital, London• helping to fund the world’s first gene therapy clinical trial for inher-ited blindness. With your gift we can make an even bigger difference to people’s lives. If you would like information on leaving a gift in your will, please contact Annu Mayor in confidence on020 7264 3900 or [email protected].


Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of Newsletter