General

Seeing the light

After years of controversy, gene therapy may improve blindness

This is a terrific article about the use of gene therapy to treat inherited degenerative blindness. It gives wonderful historical context around why gene therapy has been so controversial—in particular, the story describes the tragic death of an 18-year-old boy who died after undergoing gene therapy. Now, years of work by a pioneering married couple of scientists, has sparked a new era in gene therapy. They’ve found one of the most receptive body parts to this treatment—the eye. And it has people seeing gene therapy in a whole new way.

Smithsonian Magazine

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