3/31/2010 PERMALINK
Gene therapy restores vision in mice. Scientists announce gene therapy breakthrough toward making the blind see that does not involve the use of modified viruses. They used a non-viral, synthetic nanoparticle carrier to improve and save the sight of mice with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease characterized by progressive vision loss and eventual blindness. 'We hope the results of our study will be instrumental in generating a cure for the debilitating blindness associated with retinitis pigmentosa and other inherited and acquired retinal diseases,' said Muna I. Naash, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. 'Compacted DNA nanoparticles are an exciting treatment strategy for these diseases and we look forward to exciting new developments.'