New Gene Therapy Could Reverse a Common Cause of Blindness
11th May 2023
Retinal degeneration: When light enters the eye, it travels to the retina, where nerve cells called “photoreceptors” convert the light into electrical signals that are eventually sent to the brain.
Genetic diseases and other health issues can damage retinal cells. This condition, called “retinal degeneration,” is one of the most common causes of vision loss worldwide, and while some treatments can slow the damage to prevent further vision loss, there’s currently no way to reverse it.
But, in addition to photoreceptors, the retina is also home to Müller cells. These cells develop from the same parent cell lines as photoreceptors, but they aren’t nerve cells — instead, they provide support to photoreceptors and other neurons in the eye.
“What’s interesting is that these Müller cells are known to reactivate and regenerate retina in fish,” said Camille Boudreau-Pinsonneault, first author of a new study out of the University of Montreal. “But in mammals, including humans, they don’t normally do so, not after injury or disease. And we don’t yet fully understand why.”