For health science students studying for medical or tech jobs in the field of ocular science, the recent advancements in gene therapy have opened new doors to exciting new research and innovative therapies.
Husband and wife team Albert Maguire and Jean Bennett have been working on devising a gene therapy protocol to treat specific forms of blindness for over 20 years. Their main work has focused on a very rare condition called Leber’s congenital amaurosis where a mutated gene prevents the retina from incorporating vitamin A into the signal process needed to support proper vision.
Dr. Bennett is the research scientist of the pair while her husband, Dr. Maguire, is an ocular surgeon. Once trials on mice were successful, they tried their gene therapy on a blind dog whose vision was subsequently restored once the corrective gene was inserted into the proper location in the retina. Next, they were ready for their first human patients.
As technology improved and the human genome project findings became available, the pair was able to perfect their treatment method. The treatment uses a harmless virus to carry the corrective gene into the cells of the retina exactly where the defective genes fail to do their job. Dr. Maguire injects the gene into the retina in a short out-patient procedure. The first human patients treated with this technique were 12 individuals of various ages who were blinded from the genetic mutation since birth.
In all cases vision improved. The youngest patients improved most significantly because over time the disorder can cause the optic nerve to be less responsive. While Leber’s congenital amaurosis is rare (occurring in approximately 1 in 80,000 births), the Maguire-Bennett team hopes to apply their success to tackle macular degeneration – the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.
Today’s ocular professionals and medical scientists have the advantage of developments in the study of genomics to provide exciting new career paths. As competition heats up in labs across the country to develop the most comprehensive therapies, highly skilled lab techs, assistants and other research professionals will be needed to support the amazing medical applications of gene therapy across a wide variety of fields.
In addition to successfully treating blindness, the newest gene therapies have also halted the progression of some forms of leukemia and decreased the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Whether medical scientists wish to work behind the scenes in a lab or directly with patients in clinical trials, the growing expansion of therapies such as these can mean unprecedented opportunities at all levels. Government agencies, university medical centers and private research firms are all in need of well-trained professionals to support ongoing advancements in the field of gene therapy.
In order to secure an opportunity in a cutting-edge research lab, professionals must seek out quality education as well as valuable hands-on experience. With the flexibility of online learning, current students, career changers and those currently working in health sciences can polish their skills and build the knowledge necessary to secure competitive internships and pursue other beneficial opportunities in the innovative medical field of gene therapy.
References:
- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152252.htm
- http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Gene-Therapy-in-a-New-Light.html
- http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729104.100-gene-therapy-cures-leukaemia-in-eight-days.html
- http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/12/brain-injection-gene-treatment-parkinsons-disease_n_1420261.html
