小鼠实验,基因疗法 z-bo 2020-11-17 494

　　Researchers from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom reported recently that their newly developed gene therapy can regain sight of blind mice. This method is expected to be used to treat human retinitis pigmentosa and other eye diseases.

　　Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disease that degrades retinal function. Symptoms include night blindness, narrow visual field, and low vision. In severe cases, it can cause blindness.

　　In the retina of patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa, a large number of photoreceptor cells are missing, but some cells that are not sensitive to light are still well preserved. Previous studies have found that people can stimulate these cells with small electronic implants to restore part of their vision.

　　Oxford University researchers tried to use gene therapy to treat this disease. They injected a new gene into the remaining cells in the retina of blind mice. Then, these cells began to follow the new gene to "instruct" to produce a photosensitive protein called melanopsin.

　　The researchers observed these mice for more than a year, and found that their vision was restored to a certain extent, and they were able to recognize objects in the environment; those cells that make melanopsin can respond to light and send it to the mouse brain Visual signal.

　　Researchers said that this gene therapy operation is relatively simple, and melanopsin is originally a protein in the retina. Using this protein to treat eye diseases can reduce the risk of immune response in the body. Next, they will carry out clinical trials to further evaluate the efficacy of this method.