'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'
Ian Johnston Science Correspondent
The most common form of blindness in young people could be at
least partially cured using gene therapy, a new study in mice suggests.
Researchers managed to restore sight to mice affected by
retinitis pigmentosa after reprogramming their remaining retinal nerve cells.
These were not light-sensitive but were altered by the
technique to give the mice a degree of vision.
A separate study, also in mice, found gene editing could be
used to stop the progress of glaucoma and the scientists said the same
technique might work in humans.
One of the researchers in the retinitis pigmentosa study, Dr
Samantha de Silva, of Oxford University, expressed optimism about the
implications of their work.
“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,” she said.
“Our next step will be to start a clinical trial to assess
this in patients.”
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