Gene therapy research for eye condition Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) will be developed by researchers at London’s UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital.
In a study partnered by Fight for Sight and RP Fighting Blindness, a ‘triage’ test was to find out which people with LCA and variations in the gene AIPL1 could potentially benefit from treatment with gene therapy.
Patients with LCA have poor vision and involuntary eye movements, a statement said, with symptoms present at birth or appearing in the months soon after.
Currently, there are new no gene therapy trials for LCA caused by defects in AIPL1 launched at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Researchers added they anticipate it may be a number of years before they would be in a position to conduct a gene therapy trial in patients.