Thanks to gene therapy and optogenetics—a neuroscience game-changer that relies on light to control neurons—a previously blind man can now partial

How Gene Therapy and Algae Proteins Partially Restored a Blind Man’s Sight

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2021-05-26 00:30:03

Thanks to gene therapy and optogenetics—a neuroscience game-changer that relies on light to control neurons—a previously blind man can now partially see the world. And he’s doing it with the help of light-sensing algae proteins in his eyes.

With training and a pair of custom goggles, the man could see white stripes on a crosswalk and recognize different objects. His brain’s visual cortex also readjusted to the algae proteins as his new light sensors sparked with activity when his hybrid eyes danced across multiple objects, such as a notebook, staple box, and a bunch of tumblers. His eyesight improved to the point that he could point to an object, reach out and grasp it, and count its numbers.

The patient is part of a clinical trial, PIONEER, that combines gene therapy and optogenetics to restore eyesight. As of late 2020, seven patients had been injected with a virus that carries the algae light-sensing gene. Due to Covid-19, only this one patient was able to follow through with the training—but more results will come.

“I hope it will be a major breakthrough,” said Dr. José-Alain Sahel at the University of Pittsburgh and Sorbonne University, who co-led the study with Dr. Botond Roska at the University of Basil.