Gene therapy for red–green colour blindness in adult primates

Katherine Mancuso, William W. Hauswirth, Qiuhong Li, Thomas B. Connor, James A. Kuchenbecker, Matthew C. Mauck, Jay Neitz () and Maureen Neitz
Additional contact information
Katherine Mancuso: Box 356485, University of Washington, 1959 North East Pacific Street, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
William W. Hauswirth: University of Florida, 1600 South West Archer Road, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
Qiuhong Li: University of Florida, 1600 South West Archer Road, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
Thomas B. Connor: Medical College of Wisconsin, 925 North 87th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA
James A. Kuchenbecker: Box 356485, University of Washington, 1959 North East Pacific Street, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Matthew C. Mauck: Medical College of Wisconsin, 925 North 87th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA
Jay Neitz: Box 356485, University of Washington, 1959 North East Pacific Street, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Maureen Neitz: Box 356485, University of Washington, 1959 North East Pacific Street, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

Nature, 2009, vol. 461, issue 7265, 784-787

Abstract: Gene therapy in colour It is often assumed that critical periods exist for the development of vision and other neural capabilities and that they end prior to adolescence. For example, it might be expected that gene therapy in adults with congenital vision disorders would be impossible. But experiments in adult spider monkeys who are normally red–green colour blind show that it is possible to add a third photopigment (human opsin) into some of their retinal cells by gene therapy. The monkeys acquire a new dimension of colour vision as a result. Not only does this suggest a possible therapy for a common congenital visual defect in humans (clinical trials are now under way), but also it demonstrates the extreme neuroplasticity of visual processing and points to possible routes by which trichromatic vision evolved.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08401

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