Name: Cainwyn Leung
Source: NHS Choices http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/12December/Pages/Gene-therapy-
could-help-with-inherited-blindness.aspx
Author: Unknown
Date: 10 December 2014
Summary:
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a general term for human inherited eye conditions affecting 1 in 4000 people around the world. The conditions cause damage to the light-sensing cells and cone receptors(color-sensing cells) in the retina or even killing the cells. There is no cure for Retinitis Pigmentosa currently, but researchers are developing a new way to aide the inherited eye conditions through gene therapy. The researchers use gene therapy to modify the retinal ganglion cells, which are cells that are not light sensitive normally, to become light sensitive through injecting a chemical into the cell; the effects can last up to nine days. They performed some experiments to see the effects of the modified cells on blind mice, and the mice seemed to regain vision.
To genetically modify the retinal ganglion cells, researchers create a receptor protein on the cells' surfaces that can respond to light with the presence of the chemical MAG460. The mice that were used in experiments were genetically engineered so that they would lose both of their photoreceptors, rods, and cones by 90 days, which is mimicking the conditions of Retinitis Pigmentosa in human, and they seem to regain vision after the experiment. However, no experiment is performed on human yet due to the immaturity of the newly developed technology, but researcher believe that the day that this can cure human will not be far giving hope to people with the inherited eye condition.
Relevance:
This article is relevant to the genetic modification topic. In term two, we spent a certain amount of time discussing Genetically Modified Organism, and this article is about genetic modifying cells to cure eye conditions. Although it is not about modifying an organism, but it uses the same techniques in creating GMO. Lastly, this article is also about inherited Retinitis Pigmentosa, which is caused by DNA mutations in gametes so that the condition is inherited.
Did the mice regain their complete vision? And if this chemical is found to be compatible with humans would humans need additional eye technology (like glasses) ?
ReplyDeleteThe mice being tested seemed to have normal vision because their action was no different than mice with normal vision. Although they can see, researchers were not sure if there was any discoloration, etc. This new tech is still at a very young stage and researchers do not have an idea of to what extend it will aide people with inherited eye condition. Therefore, whether additional tech is needed is still unknown.
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