Gene therapy in inherited retinal degenerative diseases, a review

ABSTRACT

Hereditary diseases of the retina represent a group of diseases with several heterogeneous mutations that have the common end result of progressive photoreceptor death leading to blindness. Retinal degenerations encompass multifactorial diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, Leber congenital amaurosis, Stargardt disease, and retinitis pigmentosa. Although there is currently no cure for degenerative retinal diseases, ophthalmology has been at the forefront of the development of gene therapy, which offers hope for the treatment of these conditions. This article will explore an overview of the clinical trials of gene supplementation therapy for retinal diseases that are underway or planned for the near future.

KEYWORDS:

• Adeno-associated virus
• gene therapy
• inherited retinal diseases

Additional information

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The Jonas Children's Vision Care is supported by the National Institute of Health [5P30EY019007, R01EY018213, R01EY024698, R01EY026682, R21AG050437], National Cancer Institute Core [5P30CA013696], the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Physician-Scientist Award, unrestricted funds from RPB, New York, NY, USA. S.H.T. is a member of the RD-CURE Consortium and is supported by the Tistou and Charlotte Kerstan Foundation, the Schneeweiss Stem Cell Fund, New York State [C029572], the Foundation Fighting Blindness New York Regional Research Center Grant [C-NY05-0705-0312], the Crowley Family Fund, and the Gebroe Family Foundation.