Key points from article :
Vision in mice restored by turning back the clock on aged retinal cells for a youthful gene function.
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) was used to deliver 3 gene (Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4) in mice retina.
The 3 genes along with a 4th one (not used in this work) are youth restoring - called Yamanaka factors.
Whole-body treatment of mice with the three-gene approach showed no negative side effects.
Promoted nerve regeneration in mice with damaged optic nerve & reversed vision loss in animals with glaucoma.
Also reversed vision loss in ageing animals without glaucoma.
First successful attempt to reverse glaucoma-induced vision loss, rather than merely stem its progression.
"..Possible to safely reverse the age of complex tissues such as the retina and restore its youthful biological function," - David Sinclair, HMS.
Could pave the way for therapies to promote tissue repair across various organs and reverse ageing.
Research by Harvard Medical School (HMS) published in Nature.
