Gene Therapy and Special Goggles Give Some Blind Patients Limited Vision in New Study

Scientists have shown that a gene therapy paired with specially designed goggles can restore a limited degree of sight to people with a severe inherited retinal disease. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tested the approach in ten patients. It builds on an earlier report of success in a single patient.

How the Treatment Works

The approach uses optogenetics, in which gene therapy makes cells in the retina sensitive to light. In this case, the therapy was given to people whose own light-sensing cells have been lost to inherited disease.

The patient then wears custom goggles. According to Science News, a camera in the goggles tracks changes in brightness in the scene ahead and projects them onto the retina as pulses of amber light, which activate the treated cells.

The treatment depends on the retina still being able to send signals to the brain. Science News reported that it cannot restore sight when that connection is damaged.

What the Results Showed

The University of Basel, which announced the research, said the treated eye became more sensitive to light in seven of the ten participants. Participants had to learn to interpret the unfamiliar visual signals, and those who trained more with the goggles tended to perform better in testing.

Science News reported that four of the eight participants who completed behavioral testing after treatment could find a doorway or follow a line while wearing the goggles. Others could detect, distinguish or locate some objects.

The improvements were modest, the university said. The treatment did not restore high-resolution vision.

Building on the 2021 Case

The study extends an earlier report from 2021, when the same approach helped one blind man see and count objects. The new work indicates that similar gains can be seen in a wider group of patients.

Optogenetic therapies have been under investigation for more than a decade as a way to restore vision in people with degenerative eye diseases, according to Science News.

What Comes Next

The researchers said the next major goal is high-resolution vision that would let patients recognize faces. The University of Basel noted that there is currently no medical treatment that can restore vision in this type of blindness.

The therapy remains experimental, and further research would be needed before it could be offered to patients.