Dedicated to developing cures for blindness...

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Life With Usher III

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About the Usher III Initiative

In 2007 a progressive research consortium called the Usher III Initiative was established in an effort to identify the cause of, and develop a cure for, Usher Syndrome Type III. The Usher III Initiative was created because no other government agency or foundation in the world is solely dedicated to finding a cure for Usher III, a disease that causes the degradation and eventual loss of two of our most important senses - hearing and sight. Since its beginning, the Initiative has been dedicated to changing the way scientific research is conducted in order to provide help for Usher III patients more quickly.

The Initiative is funding eight leading scientists in the field of retinal and cochlear research at several top universities in the United States and Europe. The Usher III Initiative team works collaboratively towards a common goal. Our team shares findings, data and other materials to advance our efforts towards a cure.

The Usher III Initiative at Work

To discover treatments for Usher III, it was important for our scientific team to learn what causes the disease. Our scientists have discovered the defective gene called Clarin1 that causes Usher III. What's more, they learned that the specific defect that affects most Usher III patients leads to a form of Clarin1 protein that is degraded as soon as it is created.

To achieve its goal of developing a treatment to slow or reverse the vision loss associated with Usher III, the Initiative has pursued a multi-faceted approach that focuses on three critical areas: 1) Normal Clarin 1 Gene Replacement Therapy, 2) Small Molecule, Chaperone Therapy which tries to find drugs that will prevent the breakdown of defective Clarin 1 protein; and 3) Stem cell technology essentially trying to create Usher III disease in individual human cells derived from Usher III patients to look for a drug that can treat the disease in these individual cells.

Funding for the Future in Support of Usher III Research.

If you would like to support the efforts of the Usher III Initiative as a donor you will become part of an exciting medical research/venture philanthropy effort that can bring new hope for Usher III patients.

For Online Donations

Please click here to donate!

For Donations by Mail

Please send your donation to the Usher III Initiative at the address below:

Usher III Initiative
191 N Wacker Dr Ste 2090
Chicago IL 60606

Contact Us

Please feel free to reach us with any questions or comments at the following...

By Telephone...(312) 896-2509
By Email...info@usheriii.org

Newsletter Archive

Winter 2012: Usher III Initiative Winter 2012 Newsletter

Summer 2011: Usher III Initiative Summer 2011 Newsletter

December 2010: Usher III Initiative 2010 Newsletter

Copyright 2011 Usher III Initiative