USH Talks: Gene Therapy for USH2A-Associated Retinal Dystrophy
March 1, 2017
Erwin van Wijk, PhD
In this USH Talk, Dr. Erwin van Wijk shows that AON-based splice correction could be a promising approach for the development of a future treatment for USH2A-associated retinitis pigmentosa caused by the deep-intronic c.7595-2144A>G mutation.
Press Release: A step closer to genetic therapy for Usher syndrome (published online November 3, 2016)
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Erwin van Wijk is an Associate Professor affiliated with the department of Otorhinolaryngology of the Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen. He got his PhD in Medical Genetics (Cum Laude) in 2009. After his PhD, he was awarded a KNAW travel grant to perform a research fellowship within the group of Dr. Nicholas Katsanis (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, USA) to acquire the skills of zebrafish maintenance and handling. After this work visit, he successfully introduced the zebrafish model within the Radboud University Nijmegen. Currently, his research focuses on unraveling the pathogenic mechanisms underlying Usher syndrome and the development of a genetic therapy for USH2A-associated retinitis pigmentosa using zebrafish as a model organism.
Nederlandse Ondertitels:
UsherSyndroom Foundation's animation explaining Usher syndrome and Erwin van Wijk's gene therapy strategy for USH2A.
