Innovative Irida Health test was used to assess whether children receiving treatment experienced genuine improvements in their sight
By Mr George Wigmore (Senior Communications Officer), Published
A pioneering vision test developed by Dr Pete Jones, Reader in the School of Health & Medical Sciences at City St George’s, University of London, has played a key role in demonstrating the success of a groundbreaking gene therapy for a rare genetic disorder.
The therapy, which aims to restore sight in children with AIPL1-associated severe retinal dystrophy, led to remarkable improvements in vision and the results have now been published in The Lancet.
The City St George’s-developed test, designed specifically for toddlers and young children, was instrumental in measuring the therapy’s effectiveness. The breakthrough was made possible through Irida Health, a spinout company from City St George’s, which has integrated the test into its suite of advanced visual assessment tools.
Testing vision in young children
Dr Pete Jones has spent over five years developing a child-friendly vision test that can accurately measure sight in young children. Traditional vision tests often rely on verbal communication or subjective assessments, making it challenging to measure eyesight in very young children, particularly those with severe visual impairments.
“Current contrast sensitivity function (CSF) measures are not clinically practical, as they are too slow, too boring, and too uncomfortable to sustain a young child's interest. As a result, we assessed the feasibility of a more gamified approach to CSF testing, finding that gamified, child-friendly vision assessments have promise as a future means of pediatric clinical assessment," explained Dr Jones.
The innovative test was used in the gene therapy trial to assess whether children receiving treatment experienced genuine improvements in their sight. The test is now part of the Irida Health platform, which aims to revolutionise vision testing by making it more accessible and effective for both researchers and clinicians.
Breakthrough gene therapy
The gene therapy, administered to children as young as two-years-old, aimed to correct mutations in the AIPL1 gene, which causes rapid and severe sight loss from birth. The therapy involved injecting a specially designed viral vector carrying the corrected gene into the retina, with the hope of restoring functional vision.
The results were nothing short of remarkable. The Lancet study reported that children who received the treatment showed significant improvements in vision, with measurable changes in both their ability to see objects and their overall visual function. Importantly, these improvements were confirmed using Dr Jones’ innovative vision test.
Leader in vision science
The success of this study underscores City St George’s position as a leader in vision research and highlights the impact of its research spinouts such as Irida Health. By providing a scientifically validated, child-friendly way to measure sight, the University’s innovation has directly contributed to the validation of a life-changing treatment.
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