Researchers from the University of Washington have recently cured colorblindness in two squirrel monkeys. During their research, they discovered that all male squirrel monkeys have colorblindness and they have cured that in two of them by giving them shots in their retinas. As for humans, 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women suffer from colorblindness. 99% of people with color blindness have red-green colorblindness.
Colorblindness is caused by a faulty gene on the x chromosome. The retina at the back of your eye has three photoreceptor cells, cones, that are sensitive to different colors; one to the color red, another to blue, and the final to green. On the x chromosome, there are two genes that contain different visual pigments. One is for red; the other is for green. If you are colorblind, only one of those is shown.
The researchers determined the best way to force a "working" gene into the cones on the retina was to pack the DNA into a virus that was to be injected by needle that would treat the entire back of the eye. This virus does not result in an immune response by humans.
Before curing the squirrel monkeys, the monkeys were trained to take color tests. The had to touch the yellow dot on a screen and every time they did, they received a treat. One treated, the monkeys had to do the same test, but instead had to do the test with the color red instead of yellow. The monkeys that had received the injection eventually passed the test. The monkeys that had not received the injection continued failing when using the red dots.
The FDA has not approved this for human treatment yet, but the researchers are confident it will work. Since curing the monkeys, the researchers have developed a one-shot per day version. Although the people would have to get a shot in their eye once a day, there are people that would like to try.
What do you think?
Why do you think people would get a shot in their eye just to be able to differentiate between red and green colors?
Do you think this will become a treatment for many people who are colorblind? Why/ why not?
My opinion: I think that this is a wonderful invention for people that would like to see the world as everyone else experiences it. There are many people that are colorblind and I think it would be a great experience for them to be able to tell the difference between red and green, but I think getting a shot once a day may be a problem. I would like to know more about the effects if they would accidentally get it into a different cell somehow. Because there are so many people that have colorblindness, I think this discovery could be monumental.
Click here for the link.
Replies
Great job Alana!
I think it is amazing that there is coming to be a cure for colorblindness, my dad is colorblind and I know it affects a lot of his daily life. I think that if it works, people who are colorblind should get it so that they can see normally. I think that if is not outrageously expensive that it will become a common treatment for color blindness.
There are so many people that are colorblind! I think if they could make this cheap and as pain-free as possible, many people would take advantage of this wonderful new technology!
This is crazy! I think that if people really want to be able to see all colors again, they will do it. But, I think that this process would be long and painful. People risk lots of things for stuff that they want, so I am sure that some people would love it. It is amazing that technology these days has now allowed colors to be back added into eyesight again.
They have colors, they just can't differentiate between red and green. They might see them differently that normal-sighted people, but I don't think being able to tell the difference between red and green would make that much of a difference.
This sounds like something, with more researching and developing, that could become a wonderful treatment for people with colorblindness! I think people would definitely seek out this treatment, since colorblindness greatly affects a person's life, especially in more severe cases. For example, it affects your driving (since you can't distinguish the stop lights by color), it makes you unqualified for some job opportunities, and it makes something as simple as picking out clothes or cooking dinner so much more difficult. I think this will become an FDA- approved treatment for humans since there is a large market and audience of people for which this appeals to, which will make scientists work harder and bring more funding to investigate this treatment so that one day it an cure color-blindness in people.
Those were some very good points and colorblindness does effect a person's life but I think many people learn how to adapt to it because they are born with it. I think it would be a very interesting experience for people who cannot usually differentiate between colors to be able to do that for once.
When you think about that, it sounds like a small price to pay. I wonder your eyes would hurt for a few hours after that, similar to how a shot can sting or be sore a few hours after you get it.
I would get the shot, because it would give me something I've been missing. Colors change and make life better. I'm not sure if many people would be interested because it does seem painful to get a shot in the eye.
I agree without color life would be crazy, but most people can't tell the difference between red and green. I don't know if it would be worth it just to see the difference between red and green.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next