The Way to Cure Color Blindness?
- Posted by Daniel Flück on March 27th, 2007 filed in Academic
- 28 Comments »
As for today there is no known treatment to cure color blindness but maybe in the near future there will be some possibilities to overcome color blindness and even enhance color vision overall.
Researchers from the University of California and the Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore showed in a series of experiments, how the color vision abilities of mice can be enhanced. Mice have naturally only dichromatic vision which can be compared to red-green color blindness. Dichromatic means, they have only two different types of color receptors in their eyes whereas humans normally have three different types which make up our color vision.
The scientists “pimped” the mice in their experiments with the missing genes for color perception which they took from humans. And those mice performed much better in the test setup as their dichromatic colleagues. This led to the assumption that the enhanced mice have a better (trichromatic) color vision.
Other researchers have also shown that they could cure color blindness in monkeys through injections of the missing color receptor genes.
What can we learn from this?
- Color Blindness can be cured or at least it could be cured in about 6 cases of mice and monkeys so far.
- We are on the way of the perfect human being and don’t even forget to exterminate color blindness on that way.
- You won’t experience the cure of color blindness because this are only the first steps from a very long way.
If you are looking for a treatment of color blindness you still need to wait quite a while. And in case you can’t wait—hope dies last.
The Washington Post published an article about this research last week called Mice See New Hue With Added Gene. The original work was published in the science magazine: Emergence of Novel Color Vision in Mice Engineered to Express a Human Cone Photopigment.
Also read more about some newer scientific results on the cure of color-blind monkeys by gene therapy.
July 7th, 2007 at 5:32
From the Ishihara test that I undertook, it was found that I am sufferring from
Red-Green defficiency- Deuteran- Partial.
Is there any cure for it? I think “NOT YET”.
But is there any solution for it,eg, some kind of lenses,etc. ?
Please help…
July 7th, 2007 at 7:31
Chintu, as you say there is no cure for color blindness at the moment. And there won’t be for quite a long time.
There are some contacts and glasses available. Unfortunately I haven’t tried any of them. You might like to check out one of the following links:
ColorCorrection System™
ColorView®
ChromaGen™
August 13th, 2007 at 12:37
hey there,just wanted to know like how long are we talking about here for them to come up with a cure for color blindness…thanks
August 13th, 2007 at 19:57
That’s a tough question Mr. John Doe. Of course nobody can really tell if there will ever be a cure and if so, when this will be available for normal humans.
But let’s assume that there will be a possibility to cure color blindness in the future. My suggestion is, is would take at least ten more years to make a lot of tests on animals. At least another ten years to make this happen for men. So it still will take a long long time until we have a little chance to be a bit closer to cure color blindness.
September 17th, 2007 at 13:48
there are some contacts and glasses avaible for color blindness.i have contact lenses.it is great you can see the numbers in ishihara tests.
try it
:)
September 21st, 2007 at 21:03
how much are the colorblind contacts?
September 27th, 2007 at 7:43
Zac, sorry but I don’t know any prices. I’ll try to find out more about it in the near future and of course will post my findings on Colblindor.
October 25th, 2007 at 18:55
Sorry for my english, I am very interested on the treatment of the colorblind because it’s affect directly to my job. I read your comments and I think, it’s my opinion, you are a little pessimistic on your predictions. Days ago I read an interview to DR Neith who works at Medical Collegue of Wiscosin who are researching about this disability. I attach some paragraph about this interview. Regards.
Dr. Neitz noted that this is the first trial ever of gene therapy in any animal involving the cone photoreceptors as a target. “I feel really confident about this, and since all the pieces are in place I’m hoping that it will work in a monkey within two years, he said. “If it works in a monkey we have to go to human trials and have to get FDA approval and so forth, so it could be about five years to get to the point where we’re able to use the technique in humans.
Dan Ullrich
HealthLink Contributing Writer
Article Created: 2004-04-14
July 10th, 2008 at 0:41
hi.i am color blind.a year ago, i bought those lenses.it was about 750 $ in turkey.they are colorful,one of them is pink,other one is red.when you use them you can see all number on ishihara tests but in fact,lenses aren’t useful because you have to put them out before sleeping also, it effects my vision.my vision is normaly perfect but when i use them,NOT. later, i found a doctor on the internet.he was treating retinitis pigmentosa.i phoned and talked about myself.the cure was about acupunctur.he said me you have needed 15 seances for color blindness.i took 9 of them.finally,i couldn’t see this number(6)and more but now i can.( http://www.cihannet.com/cnet/yasam/saglik/renktest/test8.htm )i only cannot see 3-4 number plates.i need 6 seances more.i haven’t got much time so i havent taken them.the doctor is in Istanbul.
sorry for my english=))
July 10th, 2008 at 17:42
Regarding wat Mert says, there is this institute in Singapore as well that says they can cure colour blindness through chinese medicine and acupuncture. It might be true though. I have colour blindness myself and my appointment with the physician/doctor is actually tomorrow. U guys can check out the site.. Chinese Nature Cure Institute in singapore.
July 11th, 2008 at 23:00
dear singh,
if you write the links,it will be more useful for everyone.in fact,i couldn’t find the topic about color blindness.
thx
July 12th, 2008 at 20:48
Here is the link to Chinese Nature-Cure Institute: Color Blindness. They claim to heal color blindness with acupuncture. A very interesting topic which I would like to investigate further.
July 13th, 2008 at 9:04
Interesting, yes, but I’m unsure how sticking needles in the eye cures colour blindness, if we accept that colour blindness is genetically linked.
September 29th, 2008 at 14:33
hi gang, i live in australia and for a long time wanted to apply for my skippers ticket but colour blind prevented that, then i herd about colour veiw lenses tryed them and for the first time passed the ishi hara test there great. But for some resone the marine board will not accept them, ‘why’ its discrimination they pass other with eye glasses whats the diff any suggestions pls reply
October 24th, 2008 at 7:16
One of my friend got cured from Colour Blindness at Sanjeevan eye center in Mumbai, India. They have cured many cases of colour blindness.
http://www.sanjeevan.in
October 27th, 2008 at 21:40
please tell me where i can get a corrective lens for color blindness in india
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:05
Im really hoping for a cure…i wonder what the world really looks like with complete colors
December 16th, 2008 at 12:58
Getting back to comment 8, here is the full link (dated 14 April 2004).
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002361.html
What’s interesting is that they did go on to perform gene therapy tests on monkeys as they planned, and it appears they had some success.
http://www.journalofvision.org/7/15/15/
I’ve never contemplated not being colour blind as I’ve always assumed there would never be a cure. It definitely sounds like they’re getting closer though.
January 31st, 2009 at 4:24
When they start the tests on humans, I will gladly volunteer.
April 4th, 2009 at 8:53
hye guys.
im an optometrist student and wil become an optometrist.
i like to do a presentation on this topic but i have no idea what to be highlighted in this topic.
i hv normal color vision.
trfore i dont know how these persons feel and think.
if somebody willing to help me, can email me at fiema86@yahoo.com.
tq
April 13th, 2009 at 21:34
Pl tell me in india where i can getting contact lens for cure of colour blindness
May 25th, 2009 at 7:05
WOuld you please tell me where I can get a glasses for color blindness in Singapore ?
tks
June 12th, 2009 at 7:53
Hiii Raj…
here is the link, go to this hospital. they cure u through natural treatment.
http://www.sanjeevan.in/
September 17th, 2009 at 9:16
[...] #35 There is no treatment or cure for color blindness. [...]
October 7th, 2009 at 6:24
really its true??there’s a contacts lenses
how much??
December 1st, 2009 at 11:59
At least there is any food that can be eaten to cure color blindness right?… If there’s any, tell me pls…….
January 26th, 2010 at 7:42
Request Pls. forward contact of anyone treated for CB @ Sanjeevan India
January 28th, 2010 at 16:55
sir i am nilamadhaba patra from orissa,india.i am suffering from golor blind as well as huge eye sight defect.i am coming from very very poor family.pls help& save me.