Researchers using gene therapy as a treatment for day blindness

April 26, 2010

Individuals who suffer from day blindness may feel frustrated by the lack of available treatment options.

However, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, a cure may be around the corner as scientists have been conducting experiments on dogs to cure the inherited form of day blindness using gene therapy.

Approximately 1 in about 30,000 to 50,000 individuals suffers from achromatopsia, which is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that affects the cone photoreceptors in the retina.

Researchers found that the dogs experienced a positive prognosis after receiving gene therapy treatments, and also noted that the younger the canines were at the time of the procedure, the better they fared.

"The successful restoration of visual function with recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated gene replacement therapy has ushered in a new era of retinal therapeutics," said András M. Komáromy, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Penn School of Veterinary Medicine and lead author of the study.

To guard against eye health issues, individuals should have their eyes checked every other year, according to the American Optometric Association.