Funds have been raised for new research into the aniridia eye disease at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
The new research programme, to be led by Professor Julie Daniels, will investigate how cell-to-cell communication is disrupted in the cornea during the progression of aniridia-related keratopathy.
The team has targeted developing a cell therapy solution to help patients retain their sight for longer, focusing on the role of defective communication between stem cells and their supporting cells in the cornea.
Professor Daniels said: 'By focusing on this aspect of the disease we can begin to answer why cell communication breaks down. This is an important first step in learning how the disease progresses.'
Ophthalmic scientist Dr Victoria Tovell has also been appointed to help develop a human model of the aniridia-related keratopathy disease.
