TOKYO -- Researchers from Japan's Keio University and elsewhere announced Thursday that they have begun a clinical trial on a gene therapy to restore light sensitivity in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disorder.
Retinitis pigmentosa is a progressive disease in which genetic abnormalities cause damage to the photoreceptor cells that sense light in the retina. The field of vision gradually narrows, causing deteriorating vision and even blindness. More than 2 million patients are estimated worldwide.
