A research team led by Professor Jin Woo Kim at KAIST is working on a new treatment to help restore vision in people with retinal diseases. These diseases damage the retina, which is the part of the eye that helps us see. Currently, the retina cannot easily repair itself once it is damaged.
The researchers found that a protein called PROX1 stops the eye from making new retinal cells. To solve this problem, they created a special antibody called CLZ001 that blocks PROX1. When this antibody was tested in mice with retinal damage, new retinal cells were able to grow. This helped the mice regain some vision.
The research is still in early testing, called preclinical research. The team is working to make the treatment safe and effective. If everything goes well, human clinical trials may begin around 2028.
What this means for the Usher syndrome community: This research offers early hope for future treatments that may help restore vision in retinal diseases. Although this therapy is not yet ready for people with Usher syndrome, it shows a possible path toward helping the retina repair itself. If future studies are successful, this approach could one day be tested in people.
