CRF celebrates 22 years of research progress and unwavering commitment to find a cure for a retinal disease that causes blindness

SPRINGFIELD, MA, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) is exhibiting at this year’s American Academy of Optometry (AAOPT) conference in San Diego October 26-29, 2022. CRF representatives will meet with optometrists, vision scientists and other retinal-related professionals to educate them about choroideremia (CHM), discuss its 22 years of ground-breaking research funding, and share resources to use in their work and give to patients.

The CRF is the largest organization in the world focused on the search for a cure for CHM. Its mission is to raise funds in support of scientific research, build community among the people affected by the disease (patients and families), and educate the public. CHM is a rare inherited form of blindness affecting approximately 1 in 50,000 people globally, and approximately 6,600 in the United States. Males are most severely affected because the gene mutation has an x-linked inheritance pattern, while females usually experience much milder visual impairment. Symptoms begin in early childhood with night blindness and restriction of visual field being the earliest noticeable effects and may eventually progress to complete blindness. There are currently no approved treatments for choroideremia.

“Vision care providers are often the first professionals in a position to identify CHM in their patients and make critical referrals to appropriate retinal disease specialists,” said Neal Bench, CRF board president. “Our goal for participating in AAOPT is to provide the latest science, increase awareness and knowledge of this important community, and share resources.”

AAOPT celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and promises to deliver a spectacular conference. Each fall attendees from around the world gather for thousands of hours of continuing education and exposure to the most recent research, networking, and latest products and services. The CRF proudly supports the organization and conference, and maybe found in the Exhibit Hall in booth 1227.

For more information about the CRF and CHM, visit curechm.org and stop by the booth.

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About Choroideremia
Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare inherited form of blindness affecting approximately 1 in 50,000 people. Due to its x-linked inheritance pattern males are most severely affected with females usually experiencing much milder visual impairment. Symptoms begin in early childhood with night blindness and restriction of visual field being the earliest noticeable effects and may eventually progress to complete blindness. An estimated 6,000 people in the United States and 10,000 in the European Union are impacted by choroideremia. There are currently no approved treatments for choroideremia.

About the Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc.
The Choroideremia Research Foundation was founded in 2000 as an international fundraising and patient advocacy organization to stimulate research on CHM. Since its inception, the CRF has provided over $4.5 million in research awards and is the largest financial supporter of CHM research worldwide. Research funded by the CRF has led to the development of a CHM animal model, the pre-clinical production of gene therapy vectors currently in clinical trials, and the CRF biobank which stores tissue and stem cell samples donated by CHM patients. For more information, visit www.curechm.org

Edward Hoffman
Choroideremia Research Foundation
+1 4155968405
edwardhoffman3@gmail.com
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