To determine the effect of gene therapy in curing color-blindness, Neitz and his colleagues trained several of the monkeys in a lab, where they were given the standard color-blindness test for humans. However, the normal hidden letter was changed with a blob-like shape, and the test was put on a touch screen.
Noting that all male monkeys are color-blind and cannot distinguish between green and red, Neitz elaborated that "From the monkey's perspective, the blob is like a fruit against a background of leaves. We trained them to touch the screen where they see the color blob." He added that there was a marked improvement in the monkeys' perception after the treatment.
Commenting on the findings, Neitz remarked that treating humans with the gene therapy might possibly "cure their color vision."
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Study: Gene therapy cured color-blind monkeys; can possibly improve human vision
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