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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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Stained image of retina

Correcting night blindness in dogs

University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a gene therapy that restores dim-light vision in dogs with a congenital form of night blindness, offering hope for treating a similar condition in people.

University of Oregon researchers develop gene therapy for eye disease

Researchers have developed a new gene therapy that could eventually provide an alternative treatment for Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy, a genetic eye disease affecting roughly one in 2,000 people globally.
Eye is shown connected to visual processing regions of the brain via the optic nerve. Enlargement of retina shows photorecetors, biopolar cells and retinal ganglion cells.

Scientists discover gene therapy provides neuroprotection to prevent glaucoma vision loss

A form of gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in mouse models of glaucoma, according to research supported by NIH’s National Eye Institute. The findings suggest a way forward for developing neuroprotective therapies for glaucoma.

Gene therapy shows promise in treating rare eye disease in mice

A gene therapy protects eye cells in mice with a rare disorder that causes vision loss, especially when used in combination with other gene therapies, shows a study published in eLife.
Image shows cone cells, labeled in red.

Turning back the clock on a severe vision disorder

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine report findings of a gene therapy to treat a severe form of Leber congenital amaurosis, caused by mutations in the NPHP5 gene.

A new vision for AAV-delivered gene therapies

A broadly applicable AAV genome-coupled immunomodulation strategy helps cloak the AAV virus from unwanted immune responses, and offers important insights into ocular inflammation.

Researchers use patients’ cells to test gene therapy for rare eye disease

Scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have developed a promising gene therapy strategy for a rare disease that causes severe vision loss in childhood.
Samarendra Mohanty and Subrata Batabyal

Scientists use gene therapy and a novel light-sensing protein to restore vision in mice

A newly developed light-sensing protein called the MCO1 opsin restores vision in blind mice when attached to retina bipolar cells using gene therapy.

UCI-led study reveals significant restoration of retinal and visual function following gene therapy

New generation CRISPR technology lays foundation for therapeutics to treat a wide range of inherited ocular diseases
David Gamm in the laboratory

UW researchers devise approach to treat rare, incurable form of blindness

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin‒Madison have published a proof-of-concept method to correct an inherited form of macular degeneration that causes blindness, and that is currently untreatable.