Pioneering Partnership Aims to Restore Sight for the IRD Community
For individuals and families navigating the challenges of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), news of advancements in vision restoration therapies offers significant hope. A collaboration between Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC) and Bionic Sight, announced in January 2017, is focused on developing an innovative optogenetic therapy combined with a neuro-prosthetic device to potentially restore vision for those with significant vision loss due to retinal degeneration. This partnership is particularly exciting as optogenetic approaches hold promise for a wide range of IRDs, independent of the specific gene mutation causing the disease.
Optogenetic therapy is an emerging field that uses gene therapy to make remaining retinal cells light-sensitive, even after the original photoreceptors have degenerated. This approach aims to re-establish the retina's ability to send visual signals to the brain, offering a potential pathway to restore functional vision where little or none remains.
Key Details of the AGTC and Bionic Sight Collaboration
In this strategic research and development collaboration, AGTC, a biotechnology company with expertise in gene therapy and ophthalmology, is joining forces with Bionic Sight, an innovator in optogenetics and retinal coding. The goal is to develop a novel optogenetic therapy that leverages AGTC's proprietary gene delivery technology with Bionic Sight's neuro-prosthetic device and algorithm for retinal coding.
The Bionic Sight device is designed to work in conjunction with the gene therapy. It combines a camera with specialized software to convert incoming images into a