From CNET.com….
Scientists have restored useful sight to a 58-year-old man with the inherited eye disease retinitis pigmentosa by injecting genetically engineered viruses into his eye. The man, who had been blind for decades, was able to see small objects like a staple box, a tumbler or a notebook when wearing a specialized pair of goggles.
The breakthrough is described in a paper published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday. It relies on optogenetics, a fledgling area of biological research aimed at controlling nerve cells via light.
“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.
