Gene Therapy May Be Effective in Treating Blindness

A team of surgeons in Oxford employed a gene therapy technique to improve the eyesight of six patients who may have otherwise gone blind, the BBC reports.

The operation involved inserting a gene into the eye cells, a treatment that revived light-detecting cells. Doctors involved in the procedure believe that the treatment could in time be used to treat common forms of blindness. Professor Robert MacLaren, the surgeon who led the research, said he was absolutely delighted at the outcome. "We really couldn't have asked for a better result," he said.

One of the patients, Mr. Wyatt, has a genetic condition known as choroideremia, which results in the light-detecting cells at the back of the eye gradually dying. Mr. Wyatt was almost completely blind when he had the operation and he hoped that the procedure would stop the further deterioration of his eyesight and save what little vision he had left. He, as well as other patients part of the trial, found that not only did the operation stabilizes the vision, it also improves it.

"I felt that I had come to the edge of an abyss. I looked down at total blackness. Professor MacLaren tapped me on the shoulder and said 'come this way, it's possible to see again'." Mr. Wyatt's wife, Diane, confirmed that the prospect of total blindness had made him feel extremely depressed. "Now, he is very optimistic. He is more independent, he can find things he couldn't before, he could go to the shops on his own and he's less of a nuisance!"