The Scheie Eye Institute is continuing its long history of innovation leading to better vision for people around the world.
I'll summarize briefly, starting in the 1960s with the Institute's founder, Harold G. Scheie, MD, who was the developer of new surgical techniques for congenital cataract and glaucoma, the discoverer of a metabolic disease that clouds the cornea (Scheie syndrome), and inventor of tests for a tonic pupil and myasthenia gravis. Former Scheie Chair Stuart Fine, MD, along with Maureen Maguire, PhD, led a multicenter NIH-sponsored clinical trial (CATT) proving that intraocular injection of bevacizumab was safe and non-inferior to ranibizumab. This discovery has saved the sight of countless patients around the world and the health system billions of dollars. Dr. Fine had recruited Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, her husband Al Maguire, MD, Samuel Jacobson, MD, PhD, Artur Cideciyan, PhD, and Tomas Aleman, MD, to develop research programs in molecular ophthalmology and to perform gene therapy to bring sight to those suffering from inherited retinal degenerations. Bennett and Maguire, working in Scheie’s FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, were among the first to find that adeno-associated virus (AAV) could efficiently deliver genes to the retina. AAV was used in two independent clinical trials performed by the Bennett and Jacobson groups to improve vision in children born blind. The first FDA-approved gene therapy, Luxturna, was a direct result of Bennett's laboratory and clinical research. Now, AAV is a platform being used internationally to develop gene therapy for a wide range of inherited and acquired ocular diseases. Recently, Aleman completed the first clinical trial of retinal gene editing to correct a mutation in patients with childhood blindness. This study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, used CRISPR/Cas9 to perform the genetic “nanosurgery.” Also this year, former Scheie Chair Joan O'Brien, MD, and her Primary Open Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics (POAAGG) study team recently discovered new genes conferring risk for glaucoma, focusing on residents of West Philadelphia.
These breakthroughs were driven by teamwork, persistence, and the vision of Scheie's Chairs who have recruited and supported talented faculty. To continue this strong tradition of teamwork, we now have the monthly Vision Research Club and annual Vision Research Day Symposium. In addition to talks by many Scheie faculty, this year's keynote speaker was Nobel Laureate Drew Weissman, MD, PhD.
Now, fueled by the tremendous support and ambition of our Chair, Bennie Jeng, MD, our investigators are hard at work on the next round of discoveries. We are nurturing and recruiting the next generation of Scheie innovators. Four junior faculty members are being mentored toward independence in our NIH-funded K12 Vision Clinician Scientist program. The inaugural resident-investigator in iPOWER has started his research year. We are continuing to leverage our research strengths in retina and glaucoma while pursuing the Scheie Mechanisms of Aging and Rejuvenation Therapy (SMART) initiative and the latest technologies in imaging, AI, transcriptomics, and proteomics.
I can’t wait to see the next set of advances made by the Scheie team!
Sincerely,
Josh Dunaief, PhD, MD
Adele Niessen Professor of Ophthalmology
Vice Chair for Research