Eye diseases, characterised by the dysregulated growth of leaky blood vessels in the retina, are debilitating conditions that effect up to 800,000 people in the UK, particularly the elderly. In recent years, drugs which block the action of a molecule called VEGF have been developed and have transformed the management of these diseases by preventing the growth and leakiness of the blood vessels. Patients now not only maintain their vision, a third may even gain back a substantial portion of the vision lost prior to treatment. However, a third of patients do not gain vision and up to two thirds could experience better results for reasons partly due to the aggressiveness of their disease and partly related to genetic predisposition. Therefore, new therapies that can complement the action of existing drugs are urgently needed. The funding provided for this project will assess the feasibility of a developing a new therapy and evaluate the potential for a drug combination with VEGF blockers.

Blinding diseases are devastating and costly to manage. Currently no treatments exist for inherited forms of blindness, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), where onset can begin in early childhood. In patients with RP, there are genetic defects in the light-detecting photoreceptor cells of the retina. Without any treatment options available, RP is severely debilitating to a patient population with many potentially productive years of life ahead of them. Stem cell therapies offer a unique potential to treat diseases such as RP. ReNeuron proposes to translate this potential into a treatment for RP using its own particular retinal stem cell technology. Treatment involves injection of the retinal stem cells close to the photoreceptor cells in the back of the eyes. To make this treatment a reality, ReNeuron aims first to demonstrate that its retinal stem cells are safe and effective in preclinical studies supporting a filing for regulatory approval and then to demonstrate safety and efficacy in humans.