Gamm cautions against expecting too much, too soon. “It’s unreasonable to think that we are going to cure blindness in general, just like we’re not going to cure cancer with one magic bullet,” he says. “What we hope to do is make a meaningful change in a patient’s visual function, such that their activities of daily life are improved.”

Regenerative therapies for the eyes could help to save vision in people with glaucoma, macular degeneration and damaged corneas.