“ Forty years ago , I watched ‘ The Six Million Dollar Man ’ on TV and he had bionic vision . So why don ’ t we have that today ?”— Drew Perkins , CEO , Mojo Vision
sensor detects and enhances the images wherever they look , at whatever distance .
Mojo is still at the prototype stage , but Perkins already imagines next-generation upgrades . These might magnify objects , adjust colors for those with color blindness and even let people see in the dark .
GENE RESEARCH While scientists like Deering work to enhance the eye from without , Dr . Jean Bennett , director of the Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania , has altered it from within . She addresses eye diseases stemming from genetic traits .
“ There are more than 270 different genes , which if mutated can cause blindness ,” she says .
Bennett targets genetic diseases by employing gene therapy , which replaces defective genes with healthy ones . Scientists use a viral vector — a benevolent virus for which the retina is a perfect host — to deliver a healthy gene to the target cell . Because the retina ’ s cells don ’ t keep dividing , it won ’ t attack the foreign virus in the same way that other parts of the body do . This enables the virus to deliver the gene unhindered .
Bennett has spent the last decade focused on a gene called RPE65 . If mutated , it can cause a blinding disease called Leber congenital amaurosis ( LCA ). This affects one in every 40,000 people in the United States and is one of the most common causes of childhood blindness .
Testing a viral vector for RPE65 on a similar genetic mutation in visually impaired dogs produced almost magical results . They began catching balls and playing with each other ; they began to see . Tests on humans saw similar success .
The FDA approved Bennett ’ s gene therapy for LCA treatments in 2017 , but the true test will come in the next few decades as scientists monitor gene therapy patients .
“ We certainly hope that they will show the same level of vision in another 10 or 20 years ,” Bennett says . “ Time will tell whether or not this is a cure .”
As we wait for those long-term results , more scientists will follow these pioneers ’ vision . Biointerfaces , microelectronics and augmented reality will continue to evolve . Other technologies such as CRISPR gene editing are advancing research at an astonishing rate . As research helps us understand and treat the eye , these trailblazers are helping bring a new world of sight into sharper focus . ■
Hear the full story in the “ Eyesight : Vision ’ s Visionaries ” episode of the Trailblazers podcast . Dell . com / Trailblazers
83