Gene therapy hope for blindness
Gene therapy hope for blindness
2008-04-28Newsfeed
Thousands of people who suffer from inherited blindness have been offered hope with breakthrough gene therapy.
Thousands of people who suffer from inherited blindness have been offered hope with breakthrough gene therapy.
A medical trial has been carried out which involved inserting genes into patient's eyes to correct a genetic fault which stops retinas detecting light properly.
The three patients experienced vision at least equivalent to before the operation, but one patient benefited significantly.
Steven Howarth, 18, said: "At first I could not see anything in the eye that was operated on but it got much better after a week, then gradually even better until it was back to normal.
"Now, my sight when it's getting dark or it's badly lit is definitely better. It's a small change but it makes a big difference."
The research was carried out by the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, which received £1 million from the Department of Health.
Team leader Professor Robin Ali said: "Showing that gene therapy can work in patients with eye disease is a very significant milestone.
"This trial establishes proof of principle of gene therapy for inherited retinal disease and paves the way for the development of gene therapy approaches for a broad range of eye disorders."
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
