The first national survey asking Australians living with inherited retinal disease (IRD) and their carers about their knowledge and views on gene therapy, was undertaken by the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) and the University of Melbourne.
The results of the study have been published in the journal Gene Therapy.
'Until recently, someone diagnosed with an IRD would be told their condition was incurable and advised to prepare for a life of progressive, irreversible vision loss.' Dr Lauren Ayton, principal research fellow at CERA, said. 'But rapid advances in gene therapy are for the first time offering the potential of treatments that will stall, or even reverse vision loss... It's essential that patients have the information they need to make informed choices in the future.'
The study found that 92 percent of the 700 Australians surveyed were interested in undergoing gene therapy to prevent and treat blindness. Thus, education is vital for patients to understand potential treatment options.
