Science News · Science

Gene Therapy and Goggles Offer Limited Sight Restoration

An experimental gene therapy combined with special goggles has enabled some individuals with a specific form of blindness to perceive light and detect objects.

A study involving patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition causing progressive loss of retinal light-sensing cells, reported that seven out of ten participants experienced improved light sensitivity. This research builds upon earlier findings from 2021 where a similar method aided one blind individual in seeing and counting objects.

The treatment employs optogenetics, a method that genetically modifies cells to respond to light. Instead of repairing the retina's damaged photoreceptors, it confers light sensitivity to retinal ganglion cells, which are responsible for transmitting visual information to the brain.

Researchers injected genetic instructions for ChrimsonR, a light-sensitive protein from algae, into the participants' eyes. This modification made their retinal ganglion cells responsive to amber light. A camera in custom goggles detected light variations and projected them as amber light pulses onto the retina, activating the modified cells.

Following the treatment, four of the eight participants who underwent behavioral testing could locate a doorway or follow a line while wearing the goggles. However, none regained the ability to read or recognize faces.

The researchers aim to address more complex visual tasks in future studies.

A key limitation of this approach is its reliance on an intact optic nerve to transmit signals to the brain. Therefore, it cannot restore vision if this neural connection is damaged.

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