As the landmark clinical trial of gene therapy at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia expands, and more participants report vision restoration, Jean Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., and Al Maguire, M.D., continue to receive attention from prominent media, including Smithsonian Magazine, which is featuring the researchers’ story in their January 2009 issue.

In a pioneering study at the University of Washington, FFB-funded researchers discovered a way to prod retinal cells to regenerate after injury. If perfected, the approach could be used to restore retinal tissue, and vision, for people with a variety of retinal degenerative diseases including retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration.

Foundation-funded researcher Jean Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine, which is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Three young adults with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) receiving gene therapy in a Phase I clinical study at the University of Florida and University of Pennsylvania demonstrated improved vision in brightly and dimly lit settings. The gene therapy was also shown to be safe for all three participants, who were ages 21-24.

Initial results of the study were published today in an online edition of the journal Human Gene Therapy. Additional findings from the study will be published shortly in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.