In a stunning breakthrough, scientists have restored vision in blind mice by

In a stunning breakthrough, scientists have restored vision in blind mice by triggering natural retinal regeneration, offering new hope to millions living with incurable blindness. The research, led by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), targeted retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that affects 1.5 million people worldwide and currently has no cure.

The team looked to zebrafish, which can regrow damaged retinal neurons using specialized support cells called Müller glia. In humans, these same cells exist, but they don’t regenerate because of a protein called PROX1, which blocks the process. The KAIST researchers developed an antibody that neutralizes PROX1, and when injected into mice with retinal damage, it unlocked the glia’s regenerative power, restoring sight for over six months.

Now, through their biotech spin-off Cellia Inc., the team is refining the PROX1 antibody for human trials by 2028. This could become the first regenerative treatment for genetic blindness, transforming lives where hope once seemed lost.
Source: KAIST, Cellia Inc., PLoS Biology