Birdshot chorioretinopathy
BIRD-SET Clinical Study
We have conducted one of the largest clinical studies of patients with Birdshot Uveitis in the UK.
The Birdshot Dataset Study (BIRD-SET) invited all patients with a diagnosis of Birdshot at Moorfields Eye Hospital and University Hospitals Birmingham - Queen Elizabeth Hospital to join the study. Patients from Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge, Bristol and GSTT were also able to join.
It aims to generate one of the largest combined research datasets in Birdshot to greatly advance our understanding of the disease and how patients respond to treatment.
All participants will be invited to provide a saliva sample for genetic sequencing, to contribute their medical history and eye imaging data, as well as a blood sample to biobank for future research.
Some participants starting new immunosuppression treatments, will be asked to provide additional blood samples to trial a new test that could allow us to predict whether individuals will respond to the medication even before they start it.
We will also be testing a new non-invasive imaging technique in Birdshot that could identify how well the retina is functioning. This could supplement or replace current monitoring approaches such as fluorescein angiography or electroretinography.
The study received support from Regeneron Genetics Centre LLC, USA, Moorfields Eye Charity and NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology. The Chief Investigator is Dr Colin Chu (Moorfields and UCL) and the Principal Investigator at Birmingham is Dr Balini Balasubramaniam (UHB). We have also had valuable input and support from the Birdshot Uveitis Society.
The study closed on 13th June 2025 and we will be sharing the outputs and analyses soon.