Neural circuit manipulation for retinal gene therapy
Invited by Serge Picaud, Matteo Rizzi, PhD (Moorfields Eye Hospital, Londres), will speak on Thursday October 14th at 11.30 AM. Meet in Lusseyran room.
Abstract
The sophisticated computation of the visual system begins with circuits in the retina. Understanding the function of these specialised circuits has advanced our understanding of normal visual function. Likewise, understanding how retinal degeneration affects these circuits can inspire novel treatments for diverse forms of blindness. This principle lies at the basis of our approach to designing gene therapy strategies that may improve vision and slow disease progression. Our work involves advanced psychophysics and clinical measures in patients at Moorfields Eye Hospital and disease modelling in mouse models and retinal organoids at UCL. The lab is also working on overcome the current technical limitations associated with delivery advanced therapies to the eye (e.g. cell tropism).
In this talk, I will discuss current projects developing therapies for inherited and acquired forms of blindness, particularly those affecting the macula and reducing central vision. I will present data demonstrating how lateral inhibition is impaired in macular degeneration. I will also discuss how retinal circuits can be harnessed to improve vision in conditions such as Stargardt disease and congenital nystagmus.
About Matteo Rizzi
Matteo Rizzi obtained his PhD at the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, UCL, where he applied optogenetics to the study of hippocampal circuits. He then worked at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology developing gene-specific and gene agnostic treatments for retinal degeneration and at RIKEN in Tokyo, Japan where he developed vectors for modulating brain function. In 2021 he was awarded a Career Development Fellowship to set-up his lab back at IoO/Moorfields and has since been given a Lecturer position. Since 2023, he has started a close collaboration with Prof. F. Chavane at the Timone Neuroscience Institute in Marseille, to enable late stage pre-clinical development in non-human primates.