Usher 1F Collaborative funds nine academic research teams
Milestones in the Lab
When Usher 1F Collaborative was founded, there was a complete absence of research for type 1F. The first priority was to create an animal model on which potential treatments could be tested. The Collaborative invested in its first research lab at University of Oregon Institute of Neuroscience to create a zebrafish model. A mouse model at University of Maryland followed. Since then, Usher 1F Collaborative has grown to fund nine academic research teams, initially casting a wide net and now honing in on those therapies most likely to successfully transition from the lab to the clinic. With $12 million invested in research, the following treatments are being studied for development:
- Four drug therapies
- One stem cell therapy
- Seven gene therapies, two of which have gained interest from major pharmaceutical companies
Additionally Usher 1F Collaborative partnered with Foundation Fighting Blindness to launch an international natural history study at ten clinical sites. The study will characterize the rate of progressive vision loss that will provide data crucial for a future clinical trial.
To learn more about the Usher 1F research network, click here.
Usher 1F Collaborative has assembled an impressive governing board and scientific advisory board that has effectively identified the most promising scientific projects that will lead to a treatment. Every project funded at every lab has been a critical stepping stone toward a cure. In 2017 Dr. David Corey began working with the Collaborative and has made astonishing progress in a short period of time. In the next part of our series, we will take a closer look at the research in his lab.
