MEC_ImpactReport_2025_with updated figures, no guidelines, LR - Flipbook - Page 12
Leading eye health research
Fuchs Patient Day:
connecting patients
and researchers
In December last year, a special event was
held at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology,
bringing together patients and researchers
to discuss developments around Fuchs’
endothelial corneal dystrophy, a hereditary
condition that can cause the cornea to
become waterlogged and cloudy.
they rely on scarce donor tissue.
The research from Professor
Davidson’s Inherited Corneal
Disease Laboratory explores
new treatments focused on
genetic therapies. “We now
know that nearly 80% of
Professor Alice Davidson
Professor Alice Davidson,
professor of molecular
genetics at UCL Institute of
Ophthalmology, who hosted
the event, explained, “My team
patients with Fuchs’ dystrophy
share the same genetic cause
of the disease. If we can design
therapies to treat that most
common genetic cause, that
therapy should be relevant for
many patients,” she said.
and I want to understand the
The research relies on patient
genetic causes of conditions
samples, including corneal
that affect the cornea, why
tissue and DNA from blood.
patients in a preventative way,
those genetic causes at a
The event was organised to
so they don’t need to wait to
cellular level lead to disease
better involve patients in
get to a point where they’ve
and then use that information
the research process, and to
experienced visual loss and
to think about improving the
inform them about how their
discomfort. I think that will
way patients are diagnosed
samples are used.
happen, but there’s a lot of
and cared for.”
Professor Davidson offered
work to do.”
Currently, corneal transplants
a hopeful outlook, noting,
Advances in imaging, artificial
are the standard treatment, but
“The dream would be to treat
intelligence, and genetics
suggest these goals are
By contributing to this research, maybe my daughter
achievable, along with the
won’t have to go through what I’ve gone through.
continued support of our
Event attendee
donors.
