Patients with rare sight disorder get vision partly restored via gene therapy

Oxford trial that improved vision in choroideremia raises hopes gene therapy may be applied to common causes of blindnessTwo men with progressive blindness have regained some of their vision after taking part in the first clinical trial of a gene therapy for the condition.The men were among six patients to have experimental treatment for a rare, inherited, disorder called choroideremia, which steadily destroys eyesight and leaves people blind in middle age.After therapy to correct a faulty gene, the men could read two to four more lines on an optician's sight chart, a dramatic improvement that has held since the doctors treated them. One man was treated more than two years ago.The other four patients, who had less advanced disease and good eyesight before the trial, had better night vision after the therapy. Poor sight in dim light is one of the first signs of the condition.Writing in The Lancet , doctors describe the progress of the patients six months after the therapy. If further trials are as effective, the team could apply for approval for the therapy in the next five years. Some other forms of blindness could be treated in a similar way.Toby Stroh, 56, a solicitor from London, was in his early 20s when a consultant told him he would be blind by the age of 50. "I said 'what do you mean?' and he said, 'you won't be able to see me'. It was a long way away, but still a bit of a shock."Stroh was told later that his vision had deteriorated so much he would have to stop drivin...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: The Guardian Genetics Doctors News Health Medical research UK news Disability Blindness and visual impairment Science Source Type: news