Promising light gene therapy approaches for night blindness
Experts shared a breakthrough optogenetic method for treating night blindness and statistics on blindness in Turkey.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yusuf Durlu from Dünyagöz Etiler Hospital made important statements regarding blindness rates worldwide and in Turkey, as well as the promising optogenetic treatment for night blindness, known popularly as chicken blindness.
Global and National Blindness Statistics
Visual acuity below 5 percent is defined as blindness. It is known that 45 million people are blind worldwide and 300 million people suffer from low vision due to eye diseases.
In Turkey, it is estimated that 450,000 people are blind and 3 million people have low vision. Furthermore, the global population experiencing distance and near vision difficulties is stated to be 2.2 billion.
Main Causes of Blindness
Experts state that cataract is the most important cause of blindness. Cataracts are followed respectively by diabetic eye conditions, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and corneal diseases.
Chicken Blindness and Consanguineous Marriage
Chicken blindness, also known as night blindness, is among hereditary retinal diseases and falls into the group of rare diseases. There are approximately 30,000 night blindness patients in Turkey.
The disease can appear at any age from infancy up to after the age of 60, appearing more frequently in children and young people. Consanguineous marriages increase the frequency of this condition.
New Era in Optogenetic Treatment
Optogenetics, or light gene therapy as it is known, which represents a breakthrough in the treatment of night blindness, has completed its clinical trials. This method, approved by the FDA, EMA, and the Japanese Ministry of Health, is expected to enter clinical practice starting next year.
Mechanism of Light Gene Therapy
Applied via an intraocular injection in the operating room, this treatment method aims to impart light sensitivity to bipolar cells to replace receptor cells lost due to genetic disorders. By doing so, it aims to stimulate the vision center in the brain.
Which patients can benefit from this treatment is determined by expert physicians as a result of detailed eye examinations and advanced tests.
Stem Cell Applications
Applications using mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord, which have become widespread in Turkey in recent years, also draw attention. These methods are obtained from licensed centers with the permission of the Ministry of Health and applied to slow down the progression of hereditary retinal and optic nerve diseases.