With single gene insertion, blind mice regain sight

[gary]

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have announced (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190315095808.htm) that
they have demonstrated that by inserting a gene for a green-light
receptor into the eyes of blind mice, a month later, they were navigating
around obstacles as easily as mice with no vision problems.





Story here at ScienceDaily :-
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190315095808.htm

"Restoration of high-sensitivity and adapting vision with a cone opsin", by Barry et. al. Nature Communications :-
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09124-x

[multiweb]

I keep repeating it: green is real and it is good. ;)

[gary]

Those three blind mice might be able to successfully evade losing their tails in the near future too. :)

In a world of bad news lately, the prospect of making some blind people see is certainly hopeful.

[JA]

Thanks for sharing Gary. Great news indeed.

Best
JA

[multiweb]

Too right. Unrelated but this is another uplifting story which I found pretty damn cool. Almost to good to be true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysJ1YDRvPUo

[Wavytone]

There are many congenital defects that deserve to be patched in this way. Patching defects IMHO is entirely rational where it can be shown doing this will produce a better quality of life than the alternatives - or doing nothing.

Starting with various visual defects (I have three, one major two minor), muscular dystrophy, heart defects, and many more. Then there are the tragic ones like Down's syndrome. Many of these wreck the lives of the parents as well as the child.

While in some cases the adults who carry the defective gene these days are encouraged to have children (such as heart defects) on the basis that it can be remedied physiologically (eg surgery), the trouble is the defective gene is still passed on and allowed to spread in the population - whereas if nature was allowed to prevail children with these defects would not reach reproduction.

Hence the real challenge for modern medicine is to stop these defective genes being passed on to successive generations in the first place.

When our son was born I was very worried he would inherit the visual defects I have but thankfully his vision is like his mothers. A 50/50 gamble.

[DarkArts]

Yeah, but I'm really not sure it's going to work on our politicians anytime soon .... :P

[Sunfish]

Thanks Gary and Marc for those links. Good news stories are always great.

And as pointed out with politicians , when the education minister for NSW says that STEM is overrated it makes me wonder who put him in charge. Next .

And the feds give all their reef research money away.

Both of my kids are scientists and it makes them seem a little less valued.