Precision Is Not Enough: When Tools Outpace Translation in Ocular Gene Therapy.

Abdalla Elsayed MEA., MacLaren RE.

Advances in molecular biology have positioned the eye as a leading platform for gene therapy, owing to its surgical accessibility, relative immune privilege, and the ability of the contralateral eye to serve as an anatomical control. We trace the historical evolution of gene discovery, synthesize current gene therapy strategies for inherited and acquired ocular disorders, critically evaluating the limitations of CRISPR and related genome-editing technologies, and examine the key scientific and translational challenges that must be addressed for genetic therapies to be integrated into routine ophthalmic practice.

DOI

10.3390/genes17030283

Type

Journal article

Publication Date

2026-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

Volume

17

Keywords

AAV, CRISPR, CRISPR/Cas9, Gene editing, base editing, clinical trials, ocular gene therapy, prime editing, translation, vector, Humans, Genetic Therapy, Gene Editing, Eye Diseases, CRISPR-Cas Systems, Translational Research, Biomedical, Animals

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