With single gene insertion, blind mice regain sight

UC Berkeley neuroscientists have taken AAVs targeted to ganglion cells, loaded them with a gene for green opsin, and made the normally blind ganglion cells sensitive to light. Credit: John Flannery and Ehud Isacoff, UC Berkeley

‘You could have done this 20 years ago’
To reverse blindness in these mice, the researchers designed a virus targeted to retinal ganglion cells and loaded it with the gene for a light-sensitive receptor, the green (medium-wavelength) cone opsin. Credit: Ehud Isacoff and John Flannery

It can’t possibly work
According to Flannery and Isacoff, most people in the vision field would question whether opsins could work outside their specialized rod and cone photoreceptor cells.

Source: medicalxpress.com