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Blind Mice

Promise of restoring sight lost to retinosa pigmentosa by gene editing – proof-of-principle in mice

18 April 2023

Blind Mice

Retinitis pigmentosa is one of the most common causes of inherited vision deterioration in humans. Because the disease is caused by genetic mutation, and because there is no cure, scientists consider it to be a good candidate for gene therapy, specifically gene editing – where a mutation can be corrected in target cells (in this case retinal cells) with molecular tools that replace the errant DNA sequence. And now, proof-of-principle experiments for such a treatment have been carried out in mice, with the animals’ vision being successfully restored. Notice the thin, degraded retina of an untreated mouse with retinitis pigmentosa (left), and the thicker, healthier retina with abundant photoreceptor cells (red) after gene editing (right). While many steps exist between these results and the clinic, the work provides hope that such a molecular fix may one day restore vision in patients too.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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