it als ▁include : ▁▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁World ' s ▁First ▁Ret inal ▁Gene - Th er apy ▁S urg ery ▁Mac L aren ▁was ▁the ▁assistant ▁sur geon ▁to ▁( Pro f essor ) ▁James ▁B ain bridge ▁and ▁helped ▁perform ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁ret inal ▁gene ▁ther apy ▁treatment . ▁The ▁operation ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁at ▁Mo or fields ▁in ▁London . ▁The ▁patient ▁was ▁Mr . ▁Robert ▁Johnson , ▁a ▁young ▁man ▁with ▁Le ber ' s ▁Cong en ital ▁Am au ros is ▁( L CA ). ▁A ▁fault y ▁gene ▁in ▁the ▁p ig ment ▁layer , ▁R PE 6 5 , ▁prevent ed ▁his ▁phot ore ceptor ▁cells ▁from ▁working , ▁so ▁a ▁valid ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁gene ▁was ▁impl anted ▁in ▁one ▁eye ▁to ▁' patch ' ▁the ▁blind - spot ▁and ▁restore ▁function . ▁The ▁del icate ▁operation ▁required ▁passing ▁a ▁need le ▁through ▁the ▁eye , ▁to ▁lift ▁the ▁ret ina ▁and ▁insert ▁the ▁new ▁gene - copy ▁in ▁the ▁p ig ment ▁layer . ▁▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁Ch oro ider emia ▁Gene ▁Ther apy ▁Tri al ▁This ▁trial ▁was ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁Health ▁In nov ation ▁Challenge ▁Fund ▁and ▁the ▁Oxford ▁( OU H ) ▁B RC . ▁It ▁addressed ▁the ▁progress ▁of ▁the ▁disease ▁ch oro ider emia , ▁or ▁ch oro ider a emia , ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁fault y ▁gene , ▁CH M , ▁leads ▁to ▁a ▁loss ▁of ▁RE P 1 ▁protein