“It’s an absolutely transformational improvement,” ophthalmologist Michel Michaelides told Newsweek.
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Childrenwitharareformofeyedisorderwhowerebornblindcannowseethankstoa“remarkable”genetherapybreakthrough.
ResearchersfromLondon’sMoorfieldsEyeHospital,biotechfirmMeiraGTxandUniversityCollegeLondonhavedemonstratedthattheirtherapyisbothsafeandeffectiveinimprovingthevisionofandslowingretinaldeteriorationinyoungpatientsbornwith“LCA-AIPL1.”
Thispreviouslyuntreatablegeneticdisorder,whichaffectssome2–3ofevery10millionnewborns,leadstoprofoundvisualimpairmentsandlegalblindness.
Inturn,thiscausesaffectedchildrentotypicallyexperiencedelayedanddisrupteddevelopmentinareassuchasbehavior,communicationandmobility.
Aftertrialsofthenewprocedure,however,childrenthatbeforecouldonlyplaywithtoysbyfeelingarenowabletosafelyrunabout,identifypicturesandevendrivego-karts.
“It’sanabsolutelytransformationalimprovement,”paperauthorandMoorfieldsophthalmo
