Ideas worth spreading

The science of preserving sight

1,781,298 views | Joshua Chu-Tan • TEDxChristchurch

As you get older, your eyes worsen and become susceptible to a disease called age-related macular degeneration -- the leading cause of blindness, with no cure in sight. Sharing the science of how your vision works, researcher Joshua Chu-Tan offers breakthrough insights on a lesser-known RNA that could change the treatment for this disease, preserving the gift of sight for longer and improving the quality of life for millions of people.

As you get older, your eyes worsen and become susceptible to a disease called age-related macular degeneration -- the leading cause of blindness, with no cure in sight. Sharing the science of how your vision works, researcher Joshua Chu-Tan offers breakthrough insights on a lesser-known RNA that could change the treatment for this disease, preserving the gift of sight for longer and improving the quality of life for millions of people.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxChristchurch, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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Donate to Clear Vision Research to help support our research into therapies for vision loss.

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About the speaker

Joshua Chu-Tan

Vision scientist

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Joshua Chu-Tan's work looks at multi-targeted ways in which we can tackle the problems that lead to common retinal diseases by using molecules our body naturally produces.

Joshua Chu-Tan et al. | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2018 | Article

"MicroRNA-124 Dysregulation is Associated With Retinal Inflammation and Photoreceptor Death in the Degenerating Retina"

As indicated in his talk, Chu-Tan and his colleagues demonstrate the potential of using microRNA as a therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this paper it is shown that a specific microRNA injected into the eye can actually protect against damage.

Joshua Chu-Tan et al. | Molecular Neurodegeneration, 2021 | Article

"Functional microRNA targetome undergoes degeneration-induced shift in the retina"

This article dives deeper into the potential mechanism behind how microRNA activity changes when the retina is damaged. Chu-Tan et al. provide important insight into how these regulatory molecules actually work within the retina to maintain our visual health.

David P. Bartel | Cell, 2004 | Article

"MicroRNAs: Genomics, Biogenesis, Mechanism, and Function"

This is the first article to comprehensively review microRNA and what they do in our body. It was written by David P. Bartel who was one of the first to discover these small regulatory RNAs and is a pioneer in the field.

Oliver Sacks | Vintage, 2011 | Book

The Mind's Eye

Oliver Sacks’ book “The Mind’s Eye” is a testament to the complexity of our vision as well as the power of our brain. He explores some fundamental question such as: How do we see? How do we think? How important is vision?

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxChristchurch, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Donate to Clear Vision Research to help support our research into therapies for vision loss.

Learn more about Clear Vision Research and their dedication to making an impact.