John G. Flannery

John G. Flannery serves as Professor of Molecular Therapeutics in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. His research targets inherited retinal degenerations including retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome, which collectively affect approximately 100,000 Americans and 1 in 3000 people globally. The Flannery Lab develops gene therapies using adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentiviral vectors to deliver neuroprotective factors and correct genetic defects in photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelial cells, with current emphasis on engineering vectors for efficient Müller glial cell transduction to enable broad retinal coverage.

The lab investigates genetic and biochemical mechanisms of photoreceptor degeneration through animal models including rd mice, rhodopsin mutant rats, and Usher syndrome knockout mice. Key therapeutic strategies encompass viral-mediated gene replacement for recessive diseases, CRISPR/siRNA for dominant mutations, and neurotrophic factor delivery systems. Recent work focuses on overcoming viral delivery limitations through capsid engineering and addressing immune barriers to retinal gene therapy, particularly for Müller cell transduction which could revolutionize neuroprotective factor distribution.

Analysis of Dr. Flannery's recent publications reveals consistent expertise in viral vector development for retinal applications, with significant contributions spanning AAV capsid evolution in primates, Müller cell-specific transduction, and optogenetic vision restoration. His research demonstrates progression from fundamental vector characterization to sophisticated in vivo applications, increasingly addressing translational challenges like immune responses and cell-type specificity through interdisciplinary collaborations with engineering and clinical teams.

The Flannery Lab website explicitly states their mission as 'optimizing preclinical gene therapy and vision restoration with the therapeutic approach of using adeno-associated viruses to deliver gene replacements to models of inherited retinal degenerative diseases.' The team develops retinal cell-specific vectors and explores novel approaches for both dominant and recessive diseases, with particular emphasis on Müller glial cell transduction to overcome current limitations in achieving widespread therapeutic delivery across the retina.