Genetic engineering is developing every year. And now she has already become able to provide invaluable help to blind people. It turns out that in patients with hereditary blindness, only one gene is responsible for blindness. And this gene was identified by a group of experts from the British Institute of Leeds. It is this gene that, when damaged, leads to loss of vision.

Scientists have also found that although blind people or people with severe vision problems carry this damaged gene, other members of their families who are not blind can also carry this gene. Specialists in the field of ophthalmology believe that their finding will help diagnose the presence of a damaged gene even before a person loses sight, and begin timely treatment. In other words, preserving vision will not require surgical intervention, as is the case in many situations. 

Scientists have found that the gene they discovered upsets the signals coming from cells and required for the proper development of blood vessels in the retina. A pathological change in this gene was found in more than twenty percent of blind patients who took part in the study. In addition to returning vision to blind patients, the discovery will make it possible to reveal the essence of some other pathologies, for example, degenerative phenomena in the macula associated with the patient’s age, or retinopathy of a diabetic nature.