Four children can now see shapes, find toys, recognise their parents’ faces and some can read and write

Summary

Doctors in London have restored partial vision in children born blind due to Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a rare genetic disorder.

Using gene therapy, they injected healthy copies of the AIPL1 gene into the retina, allowing four children to see shapes, recognize faces, and even read.

The breakthrough, described as a “paradigm shift,” was developed by UCL and Moorfields specialists. Since then, seven more children have been treated.

Parents called the results “amazing,” with one child now able to identify toys and track objects.