This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Student opportunities
An on-demand gene therapy for neovascular blindness to avoid frequent eye injections
We aim to advance gene therapy so that it can be delivered by eye drops to provide a safer and less invasive alternative to conventional drug injections.
Project title: An on-demand gene therapy for neovascular blindness to avoid frequent eye injections
Supervisor: A/Prof Guei-Sheung Liu
Email: gsliu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
New blood vessel growth and leakage in the eye can severely damage vision, as seen in age-related macular degeneration.
Current treatment involves regular eye injections of a drug that blocks a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). While effective, these frequent injections are burdensome for patients and healthcare systems.
This project aims to develop a gene therapy that can be activated “on-demand” to stop this harmful blood vessel growth and leakage.
By tailoring the gene therapy to match a patient’s fluctuating disease, we can offer a safer and less invasive alternative to conventional treatment and minimise the need for frequent eye injections.
This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionise the long-term management of these eye diseases, offering significant economic benefits in Australia and globally.
To learn more or apply for this research opportunity, please email A/Prof Guei-Sheung Liu at gsliu@unimelb.edu.au