Gene therapy for inherited blindness

Where it stands as of Oct 5, 2026

A Michigan State University team reported that a single injection of a virus carrying a working CaBP4 gene stopped blindness from progressing in whippets and improved vision, especially in dim light. The treated retinas also expanded the layer that holds the visual connectors, a repair many researchers had thought impossible in adult mammals. The condition is rare and the work is in dogs, so whether it works in people remains untested.