A newly engineered virus could help promote the effectiveness of a gene-based vision treatment for the blind, according to researchers at UC Berkeley. With the new treatment, the virus is inserted into the eyeball in a fast and non-invasive manner.
The treatment is intended to help a myriad of eye conditions ranging from hereditary conditions through age associated vision loss. Lead researcher David Schaffer says this could greatly expand the options for eye surgeons:
"Sticking a needle through the retina and injecting the engineered virus behind the retina is a risky surgical procedure. But doctors have no choice, because none of the gene delivery viruses can travel all the way through the back of the eye to reach the photoreceptors -- the light sensitive cells that need the therapeutic gene.
"Building upon 14 years of research, we have now created a virus that you just inject into the liquid vitreous humor inside the eye, and it delivers genes to a very difficult-to-reach population of delicate cells in a way that is surgically non-invasive and safe. It's a 15-minute procedure, and you can likely go home that day," he adds.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.