Hiroshi TOMITA’s group at Iwate University had shown in a blind rat model and vitreous injection of AAV-mVChR1, an adeno-associated virus type 2 shuttled gene coding for a modified channelrhodopsin 2 isolated from Volvox, a green algae. The engineered rhodopsin shows response to a wider range of light as compared to the original protein. Astellas holds patents on clinofibrate treatment of Retinitis pigmentosa and has entered into a license agreement with the Iwate group.
Astellas news release, February 1, 2016
Astellas to study gene therapy of Retinitis pigmentosa