[nfb-talk] {Disarmed} FW: A personal report from Chairman Gordon Gund

[S Baker]

SRBaker


 



Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:00:24 -0500
From: GGund at FightBlindness.org
To: srbaker at charter.net
Subject: A personal report from Chairman Gordon Gund










 
Like you, Steven, I follow the work of the Foundation Fighting Blindness closely. As a donor, I want to know that my donations make a difference. 

And believe me, they do.  When I reflect on the last year and listen to this video, I am reminded that we have more clinical trials for sight-saving treatments underway than ever before.  Clearly, hope and optimism are running high.  Incredible strides have been made in the last few years, and these remarkable advances would not have been made without your support of the Foundation. They include:

Vision Restored.  We are continuing to build on remarkable gains in gene therapy.  As you may recall, in a Foundation-funded trial, 9-year-old Corey Haas and 19 others received a gene therapy treatment and can now see.  And as the trial has expanded, participants have shown sustained improvement in vision.  Building on this success, similar gene therapy treatments are moving into clinical trials for choroideremia, Stargardt disease and Usher syndrome.

Innovative Technology.  The high-tech industry has a treatment I’m incredibly excited about-- the world’s first commercially available artificial or “bionic” eye. Early funding from the Foundation was key to getting this engineered retina off the ground.  Building on the studies we funded, the light-sensing, implantable “chip” has been tested in a clinical trial in Europe with great results. In the study, people who were profoundly blind experienced improved vision that could help them to be more independent.  In fact, many can now see shapes and recognize large letters.

Groundbreaking Therapies.  A research team funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness developed an innovative technique for correcting the disease-causing gene by using stem cells derived from a person’s skin. While more work is needed to ensure safety, this advancement suggests that doctors may someday be able to treat a patient’s retinal disease using their own skin cells. 
These few accomplishments barely begin to tell the story of all the progress that’s being made.  And this is why words can never express my personal gratitude for your passionate and committed support. 

I hope you will take a few minutes to watch the video and see the results of your support and the hope it has generated. But most importantly, I hope you will see that research is progressing at a terrific rate.  It’s been a long time coming, but we crossed a critical threshold when our researchers actually restored sight. It launched us into a new era when more and more people will have their sight saved or restored every year.  A lot of work remains.  But we’ll get there by continuing to work together.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness values the support you give us by donating, talking to your friends, and advocating for increased research funding.  As we continue our relentless pursuit to eradicate blindness, we hope you will continue your steadfast support of our mission. Thanks for envisioning a bright future for the millions affected by retinal degenerative diseases.




Sincerely,

Gordon Gund

 








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