Researchers in the UK have carried out a gene therapy operation to treat one of the most common causes of blindness, age-related macular degeneration. This procedure was undertaken by Professor Robert McLaren at the teaching hospital of Oxford University. Age-related macular degeneration causes slow-deterioration of macula affecting the patient’s vision, rendering them dependent for day-to-day activities. Hence, treating the condition can highly impact the quality of life of these patients. The therapy aims to slow down macular degeneration, halt the disease and preserve vision.
Degeneration is prevented by injecting recombinant DNA through viral vectors into retinal pigment cells. This is targeted at correcting the imbalance of inflammation caused by the complement system. Gene therapy deactivates the complement system locally without affecting the overall health of the patient. What…
