Gene therapy may help reverse blindness
Researchers have shown that gene therapy might help reverse blindness
by reprogramming cells.
Agencies | Published: October 4, 2017 9:54 am
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Tags: Blindness Gene therapy Genes
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Researchers have shown that gene therapy might help reverse blindness
by reprogramming cells at the back of the eye to become light
sensitive. Retinitis pigmentosa — the most common cause of blindness
in young people — occurs mostly due to loss of millions of light
sensitive photoreceptor cells that line the retina. The remaining
retinal nerve cells, which are not light sensitive, however, remain in
the eye which can be treated using gene therapy, the researchers said.
“There are many blind patients in our clinics and the ability to give
them some sight back with a relatively simple genetic procedure is
very exciting,” said lead author Samantha de Silva, specialist
registrar, Ophthalmology and Clinical research training fellow at the
University of Oxford.
“Our next step will be to start a clinical trial to assess this in
patients.” In the study, detailed in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, the team used a viral vector to express a light
sensitive protein, melanopsin, in the residual retinal cells in mice
which were blind from retinitis pigmentosa. Post treatment, the mice
were monitored for over a year and they maintained vision during this
time as they were able to recognise objects in their environment which
indicated a high level of visual perception. The cells expressing
melanopsin were able to respond to light and send visual signals to
the brain, the researchers said. Read here Fish eyes may help find
cure for blindness
Source: IANS
Image source: Shutterstock
Published: October 4, 2017 9:54 am
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