@RetinaToday

RT Asks: If you had to guess, what developing surgical technique or treatment option do you think will have the biggest significance in 15 years?

If I had to guess, I'd say the developing treatment option that will have the biggest significance 15 years from now will be gene therapy. Right now, we are perched on the threshold of comprehensive discovery of the genetic basis of not only rare inherited retinal disorders (the tip of the spear in this battle) but also more common causes of visual loss and diseases that affect other parts of the eye. These include glaucoma and optic nerve and corneal disorders. With that knowledge in hand, and the technology that increasingly enables editing of the genetic code, we are poised for liftoff into a new world of powerful upstream cures for many blinding eye diseases.

—Julia A. Haller, MD

In each edition of @RetinaToday, the editorial team of Retina Today asks an Editorial Advisory Board member or other expert in the field a question.