Gene therapy approach repairs vision in blind mice

In a study led by Nanoscope (TX, USA), gene therapy has been used to significantly restore retinal function in totally blind mice. Their team received a grant from The National Eye Institute (NEI) – part of the National Institutes of Health – and their findings were recently published in the journal Nature Gene Therapy. During normal eye function, proteins known as opsins are released by photoreceptors – triggering a cascade of signals through other retinal neurons that eventually make their way to the brain. When photoreceptors in the eye are damaged, for instance in diseases such as macular degeneration or...