They could see well enough to navigate a maze after being treated with a new gene therapy, according to research. Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a rare condition that begins in infancy and progresses slowly, eventually causing complete blindness. The new genetic treatment, called voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna, Spark Therapeutics), involves a genetically modified version of a harmless virus. These patients also showed improvement in light sensitivity and peripheral vision, which are two visual deficits these patients experience. While, there are currently no treatments available for inherited retinal diseases, the new gene therapy is under review by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Source: Hindustan Times November 11, 2017 11:15 UTC