Top Ten (well, eleven) research priorities

[Anne Klepacz]

I know a number of our members took part in the survey to set the top research priorities for eye conditions, including KC. The top 11 for all corneal conditions has just been announced and you'll see that KC figures quite prominently in the list below.



The Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership

TOP 11 PRIORITIES FOR CORNEAL AND EXTERNAL EYE DISEASES
The Sight Loss and Vision Priority Setting Partnership Survey in 2012 asked patients, carers and eye health professionals to identify unanswered questions about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sight loss and eye conditions that they wished to see answered. 2,200 people responded to the survey generating 4,461 questions. The questions were checked, allocated to 12 different eye disease/condition categories and similar submissions were combined. At a workshop held on 24 April 2013 attended by patients and eye health professionals the following top 11 priorities for Corneal and External Eye Diseases research were identified:
1 Can new therapies such as gene or stem cell treatments be developed for corneal diseases?
2 What is the most effective management for dry eye and can new strategies be developed?
3 Can treatments to save eye sight from microbial keratitis be improved?
4 How can the rejection of corneal transplants be prevented?
5 Can the outcomes of corneal transplantation be improved?
6 What causes keratoconus to progress and can progression be prevented?
7 Can non-surgical therapy be developed for Fuchs' corneal dystrophy?
8 Can corneal infections be prevented in high-risk individuals such as contact lens wearers?
9 What is the cause of keratoconus and can it be prevented?
10 What is the most effective management of ocular complications associated with Stevens Johnson Syndrome?
11 Can severe ocular surface disease in children, such as blepharokeratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis be managed better?

A full report regarding all 12 categories will be published later in the year.

www.sightlosspsp.org.uk Steering Committee
May 2013

Of course, the research won't happen unless it can be funded! So the next step is to raise as much money as we can for research into KC. You'll remember that some of us took part in the Fight for Sight Nightwalk last year to do just that. Now over to you to redouble our efforts! This year's walk is on 20th September and is happening in London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow. So I hope lots of people will sign up at
fightforsight.org.uk/carrots-charity-nightwalk and help make this research a reality.
Anne