Gene Therapy on the Human Eye

While studying genetics in biology class, a thought occured to me. Would it be possible to use gene therapy and modify the number of rods and cones so as to enhance night vision. This is an article relating to the question, www.slate.com... , and it has some pretty well thought out ideas. I understand most of this, but there are still some questions about what vectors might be used, as well as if the brain could adapt to the new signals it's receiving. As with any gain, there must be a sacrifice. Some other research also turned up that with a higher density of cones then rods, the color reception decreases, turning towards the black and white sides of the spectrum. This would mean that although we would be able to see in the dark, colors would be drab, if existant at all. The article brings up the idea of infrared vision, and it sounds as if the color spectrum would be enhanced, not dulled. My only guess on that would be that infrared would have to use the fourth cone, instead of decreasing the number of rods. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, as well as links or other ideas.

Some females are Tetracromats, able to see four color groups instead of the usual three. This allows them to see far more colors that the normal individual. Perhaps as many as 100 million diferent colors. This is an area were, with a minor amount of genetic manipulation, everyone could gain such an ability. Girls with Kaleidoscope eyes

a read a tiny tiny article about 10 minutes ago about mice being blinded and then giving artificily made cells to get there sight back, and it worked.

In order to get more light sensitivity for night sight you would have to increase the number of rods at the fovea of the eye, essentially your center of sight. Normally there is a high number of color sensitive cones in this area, which would have to be sacrificed to gain more rods. In order to use gene therapy you would have to convert the cones to rods, which might be possible given the use of snRNA, but cones are significantly more innervated than rods are, and no one would really know what effect a highly innervated rod would have. If you did have someone with this manipulation they would be great in the dark, but if any one flipped the light switch the would be blinded for at least 15 minutes since rods undergo desensitization at high luminosity, and have a longer refractive time than cones do.

if yuo had to sacrifice some colour rods for night sight, doesnt that mean you would be colour blind ? or wouldnt see colour as well ?

Is this what the typical 'Big Eyed Greys' have done?




If not, would you become a giant eyed freak to exploit crazy vision possibilities?




The only thing I want is a cheaper and 99% effective way of correcting vision loss. Im down for bionic eyes but part time college hours barely let me eat...