An important implication of the gene therapy procedure proven effective in primates is that it should be possible to treat human red-green color blindness, even in adults. A rapidly progressing field in molecular biology has been viral vector-mediated gene therapy, with great strides being made in the area of vision disorders, in particular. We have recently demonstrated that it is possible to target therapeutic transgenes specifically to cone photoreceptors in primates [Mancuso et al. 2007]. Because all of the circuitry required for taking advantage of a third cone type is already present in dichromatic individuals, it should be possible to transform an adult dichromat to a trichromat with full red-green color vision through the simple addition of the missing photopigment to the retina. This implies that gene therapy would recapitulate what occurred during the evolution of trichromatic color vision in our primate ancestors, and the addition of a third cone type would split the dichromat's existing blue-yellow circuits into two classes, one for red-green and the other for blue-yellow color vision.
The treatment for color blindness using gene therapy is a revolutionary concept that many have said is impossible even in monkeys, to the skeptics dismay, it actually works, and quite safely and successfully we can add. Dr. Jay Neitz, PhD along with geneticist Dr. Maureen Neitz, PhD have successfully cured nine adult squirrel monkeys of their inherited color blindness. You see, male squirrel monkeys are born red/green color blind. This is proven by placing the monkeys in front of a screen which flashes 3 different color choices at a time and they are rewarded with grape juice when correct. They use their nose to make their selection and a buzzer is sounded if they are incorrect. If correct then the reward appears in a dish in front of them and a correct sound is made. The monkeys sure do enjoy grape juice, and similar to human children they want to perform well on the "test". It is clear that before the monkeys are treated they do not visualize red and green at all.
We are currently working on the next step to our gene therapy procedure, FDA approved human trials. Our goal is to make this procedure available to the world in a reasonable period of time. Within a few years the potential of a working cure for color vision deficiency is a real possibility.
An important implication of the gene therapy procedure proven effective in primates is that it should be possible to treat human red-green color blindness, even in adults. A rapidly progressing field in molecular biology has been viral vector-mediated gene therapy, with great strides being made in the area of vision disorders, in particular. We have recently demonstrated that it is possible to target therapeutic transgenes specifically to cone photoreceptors in primates [Mancuso et al. 2007]. Because all of the circuitry required for taking advantage of a third cone type is already present in dichromatic individuals, it should be possible to transform an adult dichromat to a trichromat with full red-green color vision through the simple addition of the missing photopigment to the retina. This implies that gene therapy would recapitulate what occurred during the evolution of trichromatic color vision in our primate ancestors, and the addition of a third cone type would split the dichromat's existing blue-yellow circuits into two classes, one for red-green and the other for blue-yellow color vision.The treatment for color blindness using gene therapy is a revolutionary concept that many have said is impossible even in monkeys, to the skeptics dismay, it actually works, and quite safely and successfully we can add. Dr. Jay Neitz, PhD along with geneticist Dr. Maureen Neitz, PhD have successfully cured nine adult squirrel monkeys of their inherited color blindness. You see, male squirrel monkeys are born red/green color blind. This is proven by placing the monkeys in front of a screen which flashes 3 different color choices at a time and they are rewarded with grape juice when correct. They use their nose to make their selection and a buzzer is sounded if they are incorrect. If correct then the reward appears in a dish in front of them and a correct sound is made. The monkeys sure do enjoy grape juice, and similar to human children they want to perform well on the "test". It is clear that before the monkeys are treated they do not visualize red and green at all.
We are currently working on the next step to our gene therapy procedure, FDA approved human trials. Our goal is to make this procedure available to the world in a reasonable period of time. Within a few years the potential of a working cure for color vision deficiency is a real possibility.
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