Aspen Retinal Detachment Society Meeting Coverage: Ocular Oncology and Retinal Gene Therapy

Few people would have guessed that the 2020 meeting of the Aspen Retinal Detachment Society (ARDS) would be the final in-person retina meeting of the year. The COVID-19 pandemic was a nascent and misunderstood threat when our first speakers took the stage at the end of February. Indeed, by the time the meeting wrapped up on March 4, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was reporting an average of 12 new cases per day; a month later, it was reporting an average of 26,025 per day.¹

Those who attended this year’s meeting were fortunate enough to hear from an array of speakers who shared their expertise and experience on a range of topics. Every year, the ARDS collaborates with Retina Today to highlight some of the meeting’s top talks.

This year, we begin with a summary of the Taylor Smith and Victor Curtin lecture, which was awarded to Carol. L. Shields, MD. Dr. Shields is a foundational mind behind our understanding of ocular oncology, and the ARDS selection committee is proud to have her join the ranks of other Curtin-Smith lecture recipients.

In another presentation, Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, addressed the topic vaulting retina toward the future: gene therapy. For patients with inherited retinal diseases—many of which are currently untreatable—the promise of gene therapy could be the difference between sight and blindness. Retina holds the distinction of being the first field of medicine to have a gene therapy approved by the US FDA. But we are far from finished with advancing this technology. Retina’s hunger for further improvement should be a source of pride for us all.

—Timothy G. Murray, MD, MBA