The vision of a man who was completely blind has been partially restored using light-sensing proteins that were first found in algae
The man had been treated with a type of therapy that is called optogenetics, which uses the light-sensing proteins from algae to control cells located at the back of the man’s eye.
He first knew that it was working when he realised that he could see the painted stripes of a pedestrian crossing on the road.
He can now grab and count multiple objects set out on a table, Nature Medicine reports.
The man, whose identity is yet to have been revealed, lives in Brittany, France, and had been treated in Paris.
He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, which leads to the death of light-sensing cells on the surface of the retina, 40 years ago.
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It affects over two million people across the world, and although complete blindness is a rare condition, the man has had no vision for the past 20 years.
He was treated with optogenetics, which a field new to medicine, but one that has long been a staple of the fundamentals of neuroscience.
The technique is based on proteins, that are produced in algae, called channelrhodopsins, that change their behaviour in response to light.
The first step in this new treatment was gene therapy. The genetic instructions for making the rhodopsins had been taken from algae and was then given to cells within the deep surviving layers of the retina located at the back of his eye.
The first sign that the treatment was working was when the patient was out on a walk and suddenly, he was able to identify the stripes of a pedestrian crossing.
Dr José-Alain Sahel, from the Institute of Vision, in Paris, said: “This patient initially was a bit frustrated because it took a long time between the injection and the time he started to see something.
“But when he started to report spontaneously, he was able to see the white stripes to come across the street you can imagine he was very excited. We were all excited.”
The man does not, however, have perfect sight, but the difference between having no vision and even a limited form vision can be life-changing to a person.
Prof Botond Roska, from the University of Basel, said: “The findings provide proof-of-concept that using optogenetic therapy to partially restore vision is possible.”
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There are also several other approaches currently being used to try to restore sight to the blind and visually-impaired.
One such treatment includes repairing the genetic defects that can cause disease, however, retinitis pigmentosa can be down to mutations in over 71 different genes, making it far more of a challenge.
Another involves connecting a camera to electrodes that are implanted in the back of the eye.
Optogenetics itself is also currently being researched for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, and to see whether or not it can enhance the recovery from a stroke.
James Bainbridge, a professor of retinal studies at the UK’s UCL, said that the study was high-quality, but on just one patient.
“This exciting new technology might help people whose eyesight is very severely impaired,” he said.
