Helping people live with Keratoconus
Fight for Sight launches survey to gather insights on the personal impact of sight loss
Fight for Sight is launching an online survey to gather broader insights into the personal impact of sight loss and eye conditions. The charity invites those affected by sight loss – either personally or indirectly via someone they care for – to participate in the survey and strengthen the case for urgently needed eye research funding. Continue reading “Fight for Sight launches survey”
A researcher from the University of Nottingham has discovered a possible alternative to traditional antibiotics for treating corneal infections.
In his project, Fight for Sight funded researcher Dr Darren Ting from the University of Nottingham explored using antimicrobial peptide drugs to treat corneal infections, which can cause severe sight loss and blindness.
The initial findings of this research project were reported to the charity in September 2019 and are very promising, giving hope for these antimicrobial peptide drugs to provide much-needed alternatives to conventional antibiotics and helping to preserve people’s sight in the future.
The UK Cross-linking Consortium was established in 2013 with funding from the Medical Research Council and is dedicated to the dissemination of information about keratoconus to ophthalmic surgeons, vision researchers and patients. Check out their Website here
The RESEARCH OF INTEREST page is worth looking at – here
On World Sight Day (10 October), NHS Blood and Transplant needs to dispel five common myths around cornea donation and encourage people to give the gift of sight.
One in 10 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register have indicated that they do not wish to donate their corneas, making corneas the part of the body that most people say they do not wish to donate. (1)
This has contributed to NHS Blood and Transplant eye banks being 20% below the level needed to supply hospitals across the country. As of 24 September, there were 273 corneas in NHS Blood and Transplant’s eye banks. Our aim is to have 350 corneas in our eye banks at any one time to supply to hospitals.
NHS Blood and Transplant needs to urgently dispel five myths and misconceptions that are potentially preventing people from giving the gift of sight:
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has awarded Cardiff University’s School of Optometry and Vision Sciences a grant valued at £2.4 million for a large scale study on the cornea.
The aim of the research is to develop new technologies and techniques to better understand the function of the cornea and other collagen rich tissues. The research will also look to develop novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of connective tissue disorders including developmental abnormalities, disease and abnormal healing processes. The team will also continue to run, on behalf of the ophthalmological community, the UK Cross-linking Consortium to drive towards the best possible treatment for keratoconus.Cardiff University has been been awarded a £2.4m grant from the Medical Research Council to continue with their corneal research programme for a further 5-years. Read more …
Moorfields and its partners, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity, are proposing to build a new centre bringing together excellent eye care, with ground-breaking research and education. The preferred location is a site that has become available at St Pancras Hospital, just north of King’s Cross and StPancras stations in central London.
The proposal, called Oriel, is the subject of a public consultation from 24 May to 16 September 2019. For more information, please visit oriel-london.org.uk.
Let us know your views by 16 September 2019. Continue reading
Researchers at the University of Southampton and clinical partners across England are leading a new project aimed at helping to tackle a shortfall in the number of people willing to consent to eye donation.
In partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) service – with £720,000 funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), researchers at the University will investigate the viability of approaching patients in specialist palliative care settings or hospices, who may be willing to donate their eyes after they die.
Eye tissue is needed to treat a variety of eye conditions and to aid research into new sight saving therapies. However, currently there is a lack of eye tissue available to combat eye diseases which can lead to sight loss. NHS Blood and Transplant eye banks are around 20 percent below the level needed to supply hospitals. In April 2019 there were 279 corneas available, with a store of 350 needed at any one time to satisfy demand for the treatment of patients.
Lead researcher, Dr Tracy Long-Sutehall comments: “Understandably, people can hold very strong feelings about donating their eyes or those of a loved one – from concerns about disfigurement to cultural or religious considerations.
Continue reading “New study to help with shortage of eye donors”
Fight for Sight is working to raise awareness of the importance of eye donations after research has found that eyes are the organ that people would be the least likely to donate following their death.
The eye research charity has highlighted that there is currently a shortfall in corneas that can be used for transplant, with statistics released by NHS Blood and Transplant this month reporting that there are currently 279 corneas in eye banks, despite the target being to have around 350 at all times.
