Helen HarrisR.P. InternationalP.O Box 900Woodland Hills, CA 91365

FREE MATTERFOR

THE BLIND

Watch! Eyes of Christmas broadcast nationwide, Christmas Eve night 12 Midnight to 2 AM Pacificon Dish Network; 3 AM to 5 AM on KPXN-Los Angeles channels 21 and 30, WPXN-New York,

DirecTV and other ION Media stations. For specific times and channel locations in your area, visitwww.ionline.tv or contact RPI at 818-992-0631. Also, tune in “It’s A Wonderful Life” on NBC-TVnationwide, audio described by Former President George Bush on your television’s SAP channel.

EyesofChristmas.org • VisionAwards.org • 1-800-FIGHT-RP • rpint@pacbell.net

Mike Elliott

Army Archerd Jason Katims Peter Golub

Connie Stevens Madeline Zima

those in the entertainment, business, andscientific communities who have exhibitedartistic vision or visionary leadership in theirrespective fields, as well as those who havemade significant contributions to the ongoingfight against degenerative blindness.

The Vision Awards honored notables such asYouTube founders Chad Hurley and SteveChen, Danny Glover, Malcolm McDowell,Martin Landau, Mary Green, Stacy Keach,George Romero, Wilfrid Wilkinson, JamesIvory, Fernando Meirelles, producers MikeElliot, Jim Miller, and Jason Katims, along withJack LaLanne, composers James NewtonHoward and Peter Golub, and Dr. Dong FengChen.

Presenters on hand included Stuart Townsend,Kris Kristofferson, Melissa Joan Hart, TatyanaAli, Dee Wallace, Barbara Eden, Ken Davitian,Madeline Zima, Michael McDonald, MarisolNichols, Connie Stevens, Mike O'Hearn, DannyMora, Joseph Sargent, Mark Rydell, ArnoldRifkin, Mia Michaels and Angela Sun.

(continued on page 2)

The 35th AnnualVision AwardsHonorees Included Danny Glover,

James Ivory, George Romero, JackLaLanne and many others.

2008 Vision Awards launched RPInternational's YouTube "Vision

Channel" and pointed out the accom-plishments over the past 35 years.

The 35th Annual Vision Awards opened with atouching speech by veteran columnist of theDaily Variety and long-time host of the VisionAwards, Army Archerd. Assisting Army wereE! Entertainment Television's Ben Lyons, andcomedienne Whitney Cummings. Army spokeabout the miracles he has witnessed on the stageover the years, from the patient who got hiseyesight back after being blind for 22 years tothe love of a family for their son suffering fromBattens disease.

Retinitis Pigmentosa International honored

The NightLighter™ ©A Newsletter of RP International Fall 2008

YouTube Founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen were honored at the 35thAnnual Vision Awards on June 12th, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton

Chad Hurley Helen Harris Steve Chen

Danny Glover

Martin Landau

Arnold Rifkin

further commented on how we are often blindeddue to "ignorance" and that we cannot allowvision to put "limits" on the beauty of life.

Fernando Meirelles, Director of Vision, and NivFichman, Producer of Vision, were both hon-ored for their work on the film "Blindness." Thefilm is about a society where an epidemic occursand an entire city is blinded. Fernando spokeabout how the film taught him so much aboutblindness and how we often take our sight forgranted.

Mary Green, Woman of Vision, stated how greatan honor it was to have Nancy Pelosi, one of hergreatest heros, and her husband, Stephen Swig,present the award to her. Mary told the audiencehow she has made "Caring and Humanitarian" apart of her company's mission statement. MaryGreen pointed out that 90% of her employeesare refugees and she shared her award with var-ious employees around the world.

Famous “Zombie movie” director, GeorgeRomero, was presented the Director of Visionaward. His vision of horror films has changedthe movie industry; and he continues to producefilms, altering the way we view the horrorgenre. George Romero spoke about what anhonor it is to receive this award and thankedHelen and her "small" group for everything theyare doing to "fight blindness".

Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, YouTubeFounders, were honored as the Leaders ofVision. YouTube earned "Best Invention of theYear" by Time magazine and was the first web-site to be given "Entertainer of the Year" byEntertainment Weekly. Steve Chen expressedhis appreciation to be included with other pasthonorees such as Harvey Weinstein, KatieCouric and many more. Chad Hurley explainedhow important it is to be supporting andcelebrating the mission of "Fighting Blindness"and he thanked Helen and everyone in the roomfor supporting the mission. As a result of theevening's ceremonies, Helen Harris and theYouTube founders have begun plans to worktogether to help further the work of RPInternational through a dedicated exposure onthe influential website. Helen commented,"Chad and Steve are wonderful examples ofthat, and we are very excited and grateful thatthey want to be a part of our mission to aid theblind and ultimately find a cure for RetinitisPigmentosa."

Another special moment of the eveningoccurred when Jack LaLanne came up on stageand lit up the audience, exhorting, "Let's dosome jumping jacks!" Jack was awarded theAthlete of Vision. He told the audience that"anything in life is possible as long as you makeit happen!"

The Director of Vision award was given toJames Ivory for the great work he has done infilm. James Ivory mentioned that he could notimagine a person telling him that he will neverbe able to direct again because he is going blindand that there is nothing he can do about it.James thanked Helen for saying "no" to herdiagnosis and leading the way for stem cell suc-cess stories and new drugs to help fight maculardegeneration.

Danny Glover was given the Film Artist ofVision award by his life-long friend ArnoldRifkin. Danny expressed his feelings ofgratitude to science, saying, "I want to applaudall the scientists, all the men and women whohave the courage to move forward." Danny

Dr. Chen Helen Dr. Gilmore

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Martin Landau was awarded the Film Artist of Vision award and he expressed his desire to share hisaward with John Daly, noted director of "The Aryan Couple".

Dr. Dong Feng Chen, renowned scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Harvard, waspresented the Outstanding Science Achievement Award by Dr. Michael S. Gilmore, President ofSchepens. Dr. Chen spoke about her scientific breakthrough regenerating damaged optic nerves inthe eye. She further explained how close they are to finding a cure for RP, and many other diseases.

The Composer of Vision award was given jointly to Peter Golub and James Newton Howard for theirwork on the film, "The Great Debaters." James told the audience how he would love to see the colorpurple return not only to Helen's eyes but to her paintings as well. Peter Golub spoke about howBeethoven still composed music when he became deaf and how Helen also continues to create bytransforming her affliction into an opportunity to end this horrible disease.

The Environment Vision award was given to Rob Stewart, renowned documentary director of "SharkWater." Rob emphasized how important it is that we take action now before it is too late for ourplanet because our ecosystem is growing more and more unstable.

Wilfrid Wilkinson was awarded the International Humanitarian of Vision for the great work he hasdone around the world. Wilfrid talked about his accomplishments in Kenya and the polio shots hepersonally administered to its citizens. Wilfrid Wilkinson dedicated his award to the Rotariansaround the world, praising the 1.2 Million who honor the Rotary motto "Service Above Self".

Jason Katims was awarded the Producer of Vision for his work on the hit television series "FridayNight Lights" The award was given to him by Connie Stevens and Amy Teagarden, cast of the show.Jason explained that his ability to write such a great marriage for the show stems from the love forhis wife. He also thanked Helen for fighting to "end blindness" for over 35 years with dedication anddetermination. Jason expressed what an honor it is for him, as well as the show, to be associated withthis cause.

Jim Miller, Producer of Vision, spoke about how he came to the script for "Juno", and how he knewthat it was going to be a great film. Jim thanked everyone for contributing to RP International's causeand thanked Helen for everything she has done.

Mike Elliott accepted the Producer of Vision award from Michael McDonald for his work on the film"The Eye." He explained how the film led him to RP International and "one woman's attempt tochange the medical world." He proclaimed, "soon…we will end blindness." Then stated how

Mary Green Helen Stacy Keach Barbara Eden and Jack LaLanne3

Malcolm McDowell, Film Artist of Vision, called Helen an "inspiration" and was honored to be apart of such a worthy cause. He explained how before the event he had no idea how drastic RP wasand that now he wishes to bring an end to this disease.

Sirak Miguel Baloyan was awarded the Musical Artist of Vision for his work in the Internationalmusic industry. He talked about how a friend, a composer, became blind but is still composing andproducing wonderful music in his studio.

Stacey Keach was also given the Film Artist of Vision award and spoke about how RP has affectedhis life. He expounded on how his father had a form of degenerative disease that took away his eye-sight. Stacey explained that he now has a "special bond" with both Helen and RP International.

One of the highlights of the evening was a dance performance by Laura Garcia who has RP, yet com-peted on the show "So You Think You Can Dance?" Mia Michaels, a judge on the show, was in tearsafter her performance and told Laura that someone who was close to her lost their eyesight due toRP. Mia told Laura that she was an "inspiration" to her and to others as well. Other performancesincluded an emotional performance on the piano by honoree, Stacy Keach, to close the show.

Helen Harris spoke about the importance of the Vision Awards: "One of the many things that makethis event truly special is that through The Vision Awards, we bring so many talented and brilliantpeople together for one evening, yet their relationship with RP International often extends far beyondthat to help us with the work we do."

Medical Corner

A Drug Therapy for Inducing the Dormant Regenerative Potential of the Retina

Dong Feng Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Each year millions of people lose sight due to retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and otherforms of retinopathy. In these diseases, cone and rod photoreceptor cells - cells sensing the light andconverting it into electrical signals - die, hence causing the loss of vision, as the retinas of adultmammals are thought to have limited regenerative capacities. Recent discovery of multipotent stemcells in the adult retina has generated much excitement because these cells represent a potentialsource for cell replacement and thus opens new avenues of treating these blinding diseases.However, the major challenge has been to identify the signaling molecules or drugs that can turn onthe regenerative potential of these progenitor cells to repair the retina.

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Recent studies from my laboratory indicate that the adult mammalian retina contains a population ofregenerative cells of non-neuronal origin, Müller cells. More importantly, we discovered that aneurotransmitter glutamate or its analogue alpha-aminoadipate, which selectively binds Müller cells,can initiate a regenerative response in Müller cells. Upon stimulation, Müller cells started tomultiply, migrate to where normal photoreceptor cells reside - the outer nuclear layer, and give riseto cells expressing mature cone and rod photoreceptor markers. Based on these observations, wehypothesize that application of alpha-aminoadipate may be an effective drug therapy to turn on thedormant regenerative potential of the retina and restore sight in patients with retinitis pigmentosa ormacular degeneration.

Our current plan is to test this hypothesis in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa (e.g., micecarrying rhodopsin deficiency) and choroidal neovascularization, the condition that mimics the latestage of age-related macular degeneration. In Specific Aim I, we will determine whether applicationof alpha-aminoadipate in these mice stimulates Müller cells to become progenitors and regeneratephotoreceptor cells that can rescue vision. In Specific Aim II, we will compare the regenerativeresponses of Müller cells induced by alpha-aminoadipate in the normal and diseased retinalenvironment, with a goal to manipulate such environment so that the therapeutic benefits of the drugcan be maximized. In Aim III, we propose to further define the signaling events induced byalpha-aminoadipate to turn on the regenerative potential of Müller cells. The results of this study maylead to new drug targets for the future development of novel therapies for retinal degeneration.

Should the improvement of vision in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa and maculardegeneration proves achievable, clinical studies should be undertaken to investigate novel treatmentsfor these devastating diseases. Moreover, because the retina is an extension of the brain, thereactivation mechanism in the retina is thought to be similar to that in the brain. Thus, it is hopefulthat these drugs candidates can one day be used also to treat neurodegenerative disorders, such asParkinson’s and Alzheimer's disease.

Finding drug therapies that can recruit endogenous stem cells to participate in retinal repair offersmany advantages over cell transplantation approaches. Aside from the ethical issue andimmunorejection, biggest challenges of transplantation approaches concern that grafted embryonicor stem cells have so far shown little ability to differentiate into retinal phenotypes. Grafted cells tendto remain aggregated in the space around the injection site and fail to integrate into the neuronalcircuitry of the host retina, which can result in little clinical benefits for restoring vision. Conversely,"awakened" endogenous stem-like cells appear to have the capacity to recognize localenvironmental cues that can guide them to differentiate and integrate appropriately in the host retina.Therefore, activating the self-healing mechanism within the retina will almost certainly make acell-based approach far more feasible in practical terms as a potential clinical treatment for many ofthe currently incurable conditions.

In order to continue this vital project on activating endogenous cells to regenerate and repair theretina, we plan to hire an additional postdoctoral fellow and increase the size of our animal colony.Therefore, we respectfully request consideration of two years' funding in order for us to continue thisresearch project which potentially may revolutionize the treatment for retinal degenerative disordersand lead to a novel therapy for retinitis pigmensota and macular degeneration.

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TheatreVision is a Winner at the 2008 Blind Olympics

More than one hundred young blind people participated in TheatreVision's annual Blind Olympics.Participants came from all over the country to Los Angeles on Saturday, April 26th, 2008. The BlindOlympians came with their friends and family, and competed in an array of athletic contests such asrunning, jumping and team sports. However, the highlight of the day for the participants was not thesports, the games or the medals; it was actually TheatreVision's presentation of Disney's "Hercules."The event was hosted by Disney Studios who contributed the theater and the projectionists to run thefilm with its special dual track audio. Disney was kind enough to contribute the film, and TheatreVisionsupplied the special audio description of the film. This technology, patented by RP International, allowsa spoken description of the on-screen action alongside the regular audio soundtrack.

Subway was kind enough to supply sandwiches, chips, cookies and drinks to all of the participants,their friends and family members. After the film, all of the participants hopped on buses and were takento a park in Burbank, where a special demonstration of the Games was done. The blind athletes werealso asked for their comments about the movie and the TheatreVision process. The children praisedTheatreVision and were grateful that Helen Harris, creator of TheatreVision, was able to bring the joysof going to the movies into their lives. The greatest victory that day was TheatreVision's ability to makethe children and participants feel included. All of the children cheered for more described films and tel-evision shows. With TheatreVision, everyone wins!

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2008 Eyes of ChristmasHosted By Army Archerd, Vin Scully, Bob Costas and Dr. Kerry Assil

“The Eyes of Christmas” includes celebrities’ greetings, music video from some of today’shottest musical artists, and the classic film, Charles Dickens’ Scrooge, audio described inTheatreVision™ for the blind, visually impaired, and fully sighted by veteran CBS newsanchor, Mario Machado. This year’s broadcast will air Christmas Eve Night, December 24th,nationwide on ION (formerly PAX) Media Networks, DirecTV, Dish Network and KCOP 13Los Angeles, to over 60 million homes.

The Holiday classic movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, audio described by former PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush on your SAP channel will be aired on NBC-TV nationwide,primetime, and on several dates in December.

Please visit www.EyesofChristmas.org and consider making a secure online charitydonation, or you may make a pledge to fight blindness by calling 1-800-FIGHT-RP.

Visually Handicapped Adults of the ValleyLocated at: 15520 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91406

Phone: (818) 992-0631 • Fax: (818) 992-3265The Visually Handicapped Adults of the Valley is a non-profit organization, managed by RPInternational since the 1990's. VHAV provides visually-challenged low to moderate incomeadults a safe and supportive haven where they receive training and education at no charge,on how to cope with the impairment of their sight. The activities provided include:

MACRAME NEWS/CURRENT EVENTS GROUP THERAPYPOTTERY MOBILITY TRAINING TRIVIA PURSUITCOOKING PHYSICAL THERAPY BRAILLE

Registration is on-going and classes are taught by credentialed teachers from the LosAngeles Unified School District. Hot lunch, morning beverages, pastries and snacks areprovided free, or at a nominal charge. Transportation coordinated at low cost through CityRide and Access. Classes run from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Army Archerd Vin Scully Bob Costas Dr. Kerry Assil

Helen HarrisR.P. InternationalP.O Box 900Woodland Hills, CA 91365

FREE MATTERFOR

THE BLIND

Watch! Eyes of Christmas broadcast nationwide, Christmas Eve night 12 Midnight to 2 AM Pacificon Dish Network; 3 AM to 5 AM on KPXN-Los Angeles channels 21 and 30, WPXN-New York,

DirecTV and other ION Media stations. For specific times and channel locations in your area, visitwww.ionline.tv or contact RPI at 818-992-0631. Also, tune in “It’s A Wonderful Life” on NBC-TVnationwide, audio described by Former President George Bush on your television’s SAP channel.

EyesofChristmas.org • VisionAwards.org • 1-800-FIGHT-RP • rpint@pacbell.net

Mike Elliott

Army Archerd Jason Katims Peter Golub

Connie Stevens Madeline Zima

those in the entertainment, business, andscientific communities who have exhibitedartistic vision or visionary leadership in theirrespective fields, as well as those who havemade significant contributions to the ongoingfight against degenerative blindness.

The Vision Awards honored notables such asYouTube founders Chad Hurley and SteveChen, Danny Glover, Malcolm McDowell,Martin Landau, Mary Green, Stacy Keach,George Romero, Wilfrid Wilkinson, JamesIvory, Fernando Meirelles, producers MikeElliot, Jim Miller, and Jason Katims, along withJack LaLanne, composers James NewtonHoward and Peter Golub, and Dr. Dong FengChen.

Presenters on hand included Stuart Townsend,Kris Kristofferson, Melissa Joan Hart, TatyanaAli, Dee Wallace, Barbara Eden, Ken Davitian,Madeline Zima, Michael McDonald, MarisolNichols, Connie Stevens, Mike O'Hearn, DannyMora, Joseph Sargent, Mark Rydell, ArnoldRifkin, Mia Michaels and Angela Sun.

(continued on page 2)

The 35th AnnualVision AwardsHonorees Included Danny Glover,

James Ivory, George Romero, JackLaLanne and many others.

2008 Vision Awards launched RPInternational's YouTube "Vision

Channel" and pointed out the accom-plishments over the past 35 years.

The 35th Annual Vision Awards opened with atouching speech by veteran columnist of theDaily Variety and long-time host of the VisionAwards, Army Archerd. Assisting Army wereE! Entertainment Television's Ben Lyons, andcomedienne Whitney Cummings. Army spokeabout the miracles he has witnessed on the stageover the years, from the patient who got hiseyesight back after being blind for 22 years tothe love of a family for their son suffering fromBattens disease.

Retinitis Pigmentosa International honored

The NightLighter™ ©A Newsletter of RP International Fall 2008

YouTube Founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen were honored at the 35thAnnual Vision Awards on June 12th, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton

Chad Hurley Helen Harris Steve Chen

Danny Glover

Martin Landau

Arnold Rifkin