Retina UK Webinar: DNA and RNA base editing tools for Stargardt’s Disease

Tuesday 24 August, 7.00pm – 8.00pm

Elena Piotter, a PhD student working in Robert MacLaren’s group in the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, is currently researching DNA and RNA base editing tools aiming to correct pathogenic mutations in ABCA4. Her talk will focus on gene therapy, CRISPR technology including DNA and RNA base editing, and why this is relevant for Stargardt disease. She is excited to have this research funded by Retina UK and recently ran an UltraChallenge 25km to raise money and show support for Retina UK.

PhD student Elena Piotter

Stargardt disease is the most common form of inherited childhood blindness worldwide for which no current treatments exist. Mutations in the ABCA4 gene are responsible for ~95% of Stargardt cases. To date, a variety of gene supplementation approaches have been tested to create a therapy, with some reaching clinical trials. New technologies, such as CRISPR, provide an exciting frontier for addressing genetic disease by allowing targeted DNA or RNA editing of pathogenic mutations. ABCA4 has ~1200 known pathogenic mutations, of which ~63% are potentially amenable to this editing technology!

Click here to register.

Newsletter Signup

To keep up to date with our news and activities,
please leave your details below

GDPR Compliance Please indicate your consent for Retina International to contact you via the email address listed for the purposes of general alerts and newsletters.