Blind man regains some vision, with help from light-sensing algal protein

sciencemag.org ^ | 5/24/21 | Jocelyn Kaiser

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A blind man who received a gene for a light-sensing algal protein can now see and touch objects with the help of special goggles, researchers report today.

His vision gains are modest—he cannot see colors or discern faces or letters. But if the treatment helps other study participants, it may offer advantages over other vision technologies for severely blind people. And for neuroscientists, the result is a milestone: the first published report of using a relatively new technology called optogenetics to treat a disease in people.

“It’s not the kind of vision people dream of, but it’s a big step,” says Jean Bennett of the University of Pennsylvania, who works on gene therapy for blindness but was not involved in the study.

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"The first volunteer was a 58-year-old French man who began going blind 40 years ago. When the experiment started, he could sense light but could not distinguish shapes. He received an injection in his worse eye of a harmless virus called an adeno-associated virus, which carried the gene for an opsin from algae. The researchers waited a few months for the ganglion cells in the patient’s eye to begin to produce the new protein. Then they began to train him to use special goggles that amplify incoming light from an image and focus it on the retina in the amber wavelength sensed by the opsin.

Within a few months, the man reported he could see the white stripes at a pedestrian crossing while walking outside wearing the goggles..."

More at link.

[plain talk]

Very good ideas for the blind.

[snarkytart]

Bookmark.

macular degeneration runs on my mom’s side of the family..hoping they find a treatment before I lose my sight one day. I’ve had drusen in both eyes since I was in my 20s. Now in my early 40s it’s still there and worse.

[FR_addict]

I have it too, plus cataracts,

I wanted to get the cataract surgery two years year ago when I had great insurance, but my doc said to wait. Now she's left the city and I don't have the great insurance anymore.

Anyway, my optometrist said to take “Areds2 plus multivitamins”. This is specifically formulated for eye care.

[snarkytart]

yes I’ve been taking them for a few years now.

[plain talk]

Sorry to hear. Not sure we will benefit from such developments as mentioned in this article but I welcome progress and hope in being able to fix broken bodies.