Scientists Partially Restore Vision In A Blind Man

Now that’s a breakthrough! Scientists have managed to partially restore the vision of a 58-year-old man with an inherited eye disease thanks to gene therapy. The scientists injected genetically engineered viruses into his eye. After being blind for decades, the man is now able to see small objects like a staple box when wearing a specialized pair of goggles: 

"These are very exciting results," says Raymond Wong, a stem cell biologist at the University of Melbourne developing treatments for eye diseases who was not affiliated with the study.

While the potential therapeutic benefits are enormous, Wong notes the technique has, so far, only been used in one patient. It forms part of an ongoing clinical trial to test the safety and tolerability of the gene therapy. Continued testing and refinement could see the technique help blind patients navigate day-to-day tasks more effectively. 

How did they do it? By re-engineering cells of the eye to make them more sensitive to light.

To learn more about the in-depth process involved in the man’s eyesight restoration, check the full article here! 

Image credit: Victor Freitas via Unsplash