BUSNA supported research
Wilmer Eye Institute - Johns Hopkins Medicine
Meredith Cross, who was diagnosed by Dr. Jennifer Thorne with Birdshot in 2012, established the Birdshot Research Fund in 2013 to begin to address the problem that Birdshot research dollars are as rare as the disease. With more than 105 donors to date, Dr. Thorne and her colleagues at the Wilmer Eye Institute use the funds to conduct a variety of Birdshot Research projects, including many in collaboration with Birdshot experts at other universities.
Supported research:
-
Through collaboration with five centers, we have collected imaging data on 95 patients and are correlating retinal findings on imaging with patient symptoms and demographics, treatment, visual function, and clinical exam findings. We are optimistic that the results of this research will benefit Birdshot patients in the future by providing enhanced imaging that will allow treating ophthalmologists to see active inflammation sooner in the disease course and treat the inflammation more aggressively and completely in the disease’s earliest stages.
-
We are collaborating with Birdshot specialists in Paris to examine the visual outcomes, treatment outcomes, visual field analyses, imaging analyses, quality of life, and natural history of the disease. This is a unique opportunity in the study of Birdshot given the long duration of observation. We hope that this collaboration will dramatically increase our understanding of the natural history and pathogenesis of Birdshot, which should enable us to make real progress in the successful treatment of patients.
-
Our team is investigating the likelihood of drug-free remission in Birdshot. We presented these results at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in Vancouver this year.
-
Our team is diligently looking for genetic markers other than HLA-A29 in Birdshot. This involves a massive amount of data to be analyzed, but while the progress is slow, it has been steady. Although similar to searching for needles in haystacks, this is among the most exciting work being done at Johns Hopkins, and hopefully, we will be able to add to the knowledge in this arena.
University of Toronto
Dr. Larissa Derzko-Dzulynsky and her colleagues at the University of Toronto Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences (DOVS) aim to apply single-cell RNA sequencing, (scRNAseq), in their investigations. This technology enables discovery of disease-relevant cells for immune-mediated diseases like BSCR. They look for cells that are important for BSCR by comparing scRNAseq profiles of immune cells from people with active disease and those with remission of BSCR. In order to understand the behavior of immune cells, they also measure cytokine levels in these same blood samples.
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine - Ophthalmology
The goal of the Hassman Uveitis Lab at Washington University is to characterize patient- and disease-specific mechanisms of eye inflammation with the goal of developing precision medicine treatment strategies. Dr. Lynn M. Hassman and her colleagues use advanced molecular tools (like single cell RNA-Sequencing) to analyze the immune cells and molecules from their patients.
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine - Ophthalmology research
Harvard Medical, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Lucia Sobrin and her colleagues at Massachusetts Eye and Ear are committed to research to further understand and better treat birdshot uveitis. Their projects are focused on Fluorescein angiography leakage patterns in birdshot uveitis and genetic risk factors for birdshot patients.
Dr. Sobrin’s study protocol allows patients from outside of Massachusetts Eye and Ear to provide a blood sample for DNA extraction. If you are interested in participating in the study, details are included in the research summary.
Harvard Medical, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Massachusetts General Hospital research
Fight for Sight
For more than 70 years, Fight for Sight has been providing grants to support eye and vision
researchers. Birdshot Uveitis Society of North America and Fight for Sight (FFS)
have partnered to offer a research grant for Summer 2023. Details are included in the research summary.
University of Montreal
Dr. Marie-Josée Aubin and her colleagues at the University of Montreal Department of Ophthalmology are studying how ERG and OCT can be used to detect early signs of Birdshot chorioretinopathy. This could allow doctors to initiate treatment earlier and better monitor treatment response to limit damages to the vision of birdshot patients. They are also establishing a Biobank for Uveo-Retinal Diseases