Dr. Sean K. Wang from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford Awarded $90,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for Circular RNA Gene Editing Research

Dr. Sean K. Wang from the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California was awarded a $90,000 grant for his research entitled: Circular RNA mediated gene editing for inherited retinal dystrophies.

Genetic mutations in the retina, the tissue at the back of the eye responsible for sensing light, can cause debilitating and irreversible vision loss in children. One potential way to treat such mutations is with gene editing; however, current gene editing approaches may lead to editing errors and unwanted inflammation, posing safety risks. Dr. Wang proposed a new strategy to perform gene editing in the eye using circular RNAs, a class of highly stable RNA molecules, delivered into retinal cells by nanoparticles. He envisions that this work will lead to safer treatments for childhood retinal diseases, and potentially other vision disorders.