The first participant has already begun the treatment, which aims to restore the vision of patients with severe blindness caused by a rare genetic disease. Physicians at Portland, Ore.-based Casey Eye Institute reportedly injected into the patient’s eye several microscopic droplets containing a harmless virus that will carry out the CRISPR editing mechanisms.
The researchers reportedly expect to know in the next few weeks whether the new technique is working. If it is, they should be able to predict how effective the in vivo application will be within two or three months.
“We’re really optimistic that this has a good chance of being effective,” Eric Pierce, MD, PhD, a professor of ophthalmology at Boston-based Harvard Medical School and director of the Inherited Retinal Disorders Service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, who is leading the study, told NPR. “We’re helping open, potentially, an era of gene editing for therapeutic use that could have impact in many aspects of medicine.”
More articles on health IT:
Google, Microsoft & more make remote work tech free for coronavirus-impacted businesses
53% of hospitals faced cyberattacks, but few have plans to respond to phishing attacks
Hartford HealthCare’s Dr. Barry Stein: Innovation isn’t an option for hospitals — ‘it’s an imperative’
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.