Olivia’s Vision is delighted to announce a pioneering study (CLUSTER) into the diagnosis and treatment of uveitis, a serious eye disease which can cause permanent vision loss and blindness. The study aims to target children who are most at risk of developing uveitis.
Last year, in its role as patient representative, Olivia’s Vision was invited to participate in this new study involving over 5,000 children, which will create genetic tests to personalise treatment for children with uveitis, enabling specialists not only to predict which children with JIA will develop the condition, but also which specific drug will result in the most effective treatment, ultimately lowering the rate of vision loss and blindness from uveitis. The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), in addition to organisations such as Olivia’s Vision.
Professor A. V. Ramanan, consultant paediatric rheumatologist at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, will be co-leading the research.
“Sight threatening uveitis in children is a major cause of avoidable visual loss. This Medical Research Council funded project will enable us to make significant strides in our efforts to diagnose and treat uveitis in children more effectively.”
Professor A. V. Ramanan
Current treatment for uveitis works on a trial and error approach. Children are prescribed one drug after another to discover which might work for them.
Stratified medicine, also known as personalised medicine, will be able to specifically predict which drug will put the uveitis into remission so creating a tailor-made treatment plan, reducing the delay in effective treatment, and significantly lowering the risk of further vision loss and blindness.
Nicki Davis, Founder and Trustee of Olivia’s Vision, said:
“Olivia’s Vision campaigns on behalf of patients who need the most current drugs quickly. OV provides information on uveitis, emotional support and advice from diagnosis onwards. The new stratified medicine approach is a groundbreaking form of research, which will change the way uveitis is diagnosed and treated. Currently, in many cases children have to endure years of ineffective treatment for this devastating disease. Our involvement in this trial is the product of years of working with uveitis and rheumatology experts and the families of those affected by uveitis.”
Enquiries
For further information on the charity, Olivia’s Vision, please contact Nicki Davis at: info@oliviasvision.org
About Olivia’s Vision
Olivia’s Vision was established in 2010 to provide information, support and advice for anyone affected by uveitis.
Every year, an estimated 9,000 new case of uveitis are diagnosed in the UK, with uveitis now the third leading cause of avoidable blindness.
Olivia’s Vision also looks to the future by raising funds to train new uveitis experts, specialist paediatric nurses and research regarding potential new treatments, so that one day, vision loss from uveitis is eliminated.
Olivia’s Vision works with renowned uveitis and rheumatology experts including Professor A Dick (who sits on the Olivia’s Vision Medical Board) Bristol Eye Hospital and Professor A. V. Ramanan from Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
For further information on Olivia’s Vision please visit our website: https://www.oliviasvision.org/