UK Girl Becomes First to Receive Vision-Saving Gene Therapy | Belfast News

An 11-year-old girl in the UK has become the first patient in the country to receive a revolutionary gene therapy designed to preserve vision, marking a major breakthrough for those with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Catherine, who carries a mutation in the BBS10 gene, underwent a complex procedure where healthy genes were injected directly into her eye — a treatment previously performed on just one other person worldwide. The surgery involved removing eye fluid and delivering the gene to the retina to protect light-sensitive cells damaged by the syndrome. Catherine, who loves reading, and her family — stunned by the therapy’s early availability — are hopeful it will help her maintain independence as the condition typically leads to blindness by her early 20s. While the treatment was administered to one eye, early results from similar cases show promise, especially in low-light vision. Doctors emphasize this could be the first real hope for stabilizing or even improving vision in children with this rare, untreatable condition. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/27c22a7caf28a4dc