AN OXFORD professor has described research which partially restored vision to blind rats a 'significant advance' for the field.
Gene-editing technology has moved a step closer to new treatments that alter DNA to repair parts of the body.
Oxford University Professor Robert MacLaren said: "This is a significant advance.
"Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic disease that causes blindness - it affects about one in 4,000 people in the UK. In this study, the researchers used a bacterial protein to cut and repair defective DNA in a rat that has retinitis pigmentosa."
He added: "Since ageing is defined as picking up DNA mutations, the ability to correct these mutations may in future provide us with a means of extending our lifespan as well as treating many diseases that relate to ageing."
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