First approved gene therapy for a hereditary eye disease carried out in Germany
Ophthalmologists at the Department of Ophthalmology at University Hospital of LMU Munich were the first in Germany to apply the first approved gene therapy for the treatment of a hereditary retinal disease. The Team of Professor Siegfried Priglinger, Adjunct Professor Claudia Priglinger, Maximilian Gerhardt and Professor Günther Rudolph treated a patient with the recently approved gene therapy for an hereditary retinal dystrophy caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene.
A large number of genes are associated with retinal diseases. RPE65-associated retinal dystrophies are a clinically heterogeneous group of hereditary retinal diseases that have in common a progressive decline in retinal function. Affected persons suffer from retinal degeneration which leads to a loss of visual field and visual acuity up to blindness.
The new therapy marks the beginning of a new era in ophthalmology. "Finally, a new treatment option can be offered to patients suffering from a previously untreatable retinal disease," said Professor Siegfried Priglinger, Director of the Eye Clinic.
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Professor Dr. Siegfried Priglinger
Director of the Department of Ophthalmology
University Hospital of LMU Munich
Mathildenstrasse 8, 80336 Munich, Germany
Please direct enquiries to
PD Dr. Claudia Priglinger
claudia.priglinger@med.uni-muenchen.de
Maximilian Gerhardt
maximilian.gerhardt@med.uni-muenchen.de
Prof. Dr. Günther Rudolph
guenther.rudolph@med.uni-muenchen.de