Longevity & Aging
partial reprogramming (OSK) mitigates age-related vision loss
In plain terms: Can gene "reprogramming" reverse age-related vision loss?
Leans support Longevity & Aging 🐭 Non-human evidence🔬 Includes disconfirming
Part of: 🩺 partial reprogramming (osk)
RefutedContestedStrong support
consensus score 0.56
Yes, it restored sight after injury and ageing, but only shown in mice so far, with no human data.
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-14 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: Animal studies (Animal)
MechanismIn-vitroAnimalObservationalRCTMeta-analysis
How the studies fall
6 support 0 contradict 4 tested null 2 mixed · 12 sources, 4 independent groups
What the evidence shows
OSK (Myc omitted to limit cancer risk) regenerates optic-nerve axons and restores vision after injury/glaucoma/aging in MICE via TET-dependent demethylation (Lu-Sinclair 2020). Striking but species- and tissue-limited; no human data.
The evidence (13)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paine PT, Rechsteiner C, Morandini F, Desdín-Micó G, Mrabti C, Parras A, Haghani A, Brooke R, Horvath S, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V, Ocampo A 2023 · Front Aging | animal | tested-null | moderate | Independent lab: initiation-phase in vivo reprogramming ameliorated DNA damage in ERCC1 progeroid mice, supporting OSK partial-reprogramming rejuvenation mechanism (non-ocular). |
| Yang JH, Petty CA, Dixon-McDougall T, Lopez MV, Tyshkovskiy A, Maybury-Lewis S, Tian X, Ibrahim N, Chen Z, Griffin PT, Arnold M, Li J, Martinez OA, Behn A, Rogers-Hammond R, Angeli S, Gladyshev VN, Sinclair DA 2023 · Aging (Albany) | in-vitro | mixed | low | Chemically-induced OSK-based reprogramming reversed cellular-aging markers (DNA methylation, transcriptome) without loss of identity - mechanistic basis for the OSK vision work (same lab). |
| Zhang K, Zhang T, He Q, Liang H, Guo J, Zeng M, Chen S 2024 · Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci | in-vitro | tested-null | low | Reprogramming-based induced retinal ganglion cell model: Shootin1 regulates RGC neurite/axon development, supporting reprogramming as a route to regenerate vision-relevant RGCs. |
| Paine PT, Nguyen A, Ocampo A 2024 · Aging Cell | animal | supports | moderate | Review of partial reprogramming: real rejuvenation signal across models but unresolved tumour/safety risk and no human efficacy data - tempers the vision claim. |
| Yang JH, Hayano M, Griffin PT, Amorim JA, Bonkowski MS, Apostolides JK, Salfati EL, Blanchette M, Munding EM, Bhakta M, Chew YC, Guo W, Yang X, Maybury-Lewis S, Tian X, Ross JM, Coppotelli G, Meer MV, Rogers-Hammond R, Vera DL, Lu YR, Pippin JW, Creswell ML, Dou Z, Xu C, Mitchell SJ, Das A, O'Connell BL, Thakur S, Kane AE, Su Q, Mohri Y, Nishimura EK, Schaevitz L, Garg N, Balta AM, Rego MA, Gregory-Ksander M, Jakobs TC, Zhong L, Wakimoto H, El Andari J, Grimm D, Mostoslavsky R, Wagers AJ, Tsubota K, Bonasera SJ, Palmeira CM, Seidman JG, Seidman CE, Wolf NS, Kreiling JA, Sedivy JM, Murphy GF, Green RE, Garcia BA, Berger SL, Oberdoerffer P, Shankland SJ, Gladyshev VN, Ksander BR, Pfenning AR, Rajman LA, Sinclair DA 2023 · Cell | animal | supports | low | ICE/Cell2023 same Sinclair lab reaffirms; reinforces not independent. ANIMAL-ONLY ⚠️ correction-on-file (Crossref) - kept, corrigendum not retraction |
| Karg MM, Lu YR, Refaian N, Cameron J, Hoffmann E, Hoppe C, Shirahama S, Shah M, Krasniqi D, Krishnan A, Shrestha M, Guo Y, Cermak JM, Walthier M, Broniowska K, Rosenzweig-Lipson S, Gregory-Ksander M, Sinclair DA, Ksander BR 2023 · Cell Reprogram | animal | supports | moderate | OSK gene therapy in a mouse glaucoma model: 2 months of OSK expression fully restored vision, sustained 11 months during continuous expression and persisting above baseline after withdrawal; no adverse effects over 21 months. Direct in-vivo evidence OSK reprogramming reverses vision loss (mouse-only). |
| Jo BK, Lee SY, Eom HJ, Kim J, Cha HJ 2025 · Aging Cell | animal | supports | low | Review of in vivo reprogramming: promising organ-specific dedifferentiation but persistent safety/clinical-applicability concerns; vision restoration remains preclinical. |
| Lu Y, Brommer B, Tian X, Krishnan A, Meer M, Wang C, Vera DL, Zeng Q, Yu D, Bonkowski MS, Yang JH, Zhou S, Hoffmann EM, Karg MM, Schultz MB, Kane AE, Davidsohn N, Korobkina E, Chwalek K, Rajman LA, Church GM, Hochedlinger K, Gladyshev VN, Horvath S, Levine ME, Gregory-Ksander MS, Ksander BR, He Z, Sinclair DA 2020 · Nature | animal | supports | moderate | Lu-Sinclair Nature2020 MOUSE RGC OSK restores vision via TET demethylation. ANIMAL-ONLY species caveat |
| Zhang K, Liang H, Chen S 2026 · Stem Cell Reports | in-vitro | mixed | low | Mettl3/m6A promotes reprogramming and axonogenesis of induced retinal ganglion cells - mechanistic support for reprogramming-driven RGC regeneration. |
| Nakatsukasa Y, Yamada Y, Yamada Y 2025 · Regen Ther | animal | supports | low | Concise review of in-vivo reprogramming; cites Lu et al.: OSK 'promoted axon regeneration after injury' and 'the authors successfully reversed vision loss in a mouse model of glaucoma and aged mice [32].' No own data — review, zero weight. |
| Núñez-Quintela V, Li H, Collado M 2026 · Trends Mol Med | mechanism | supports | moderate | Collado review partial reprogramming rejuvenates tissue/regen capacity. ANIMAL/MECHANISM-ONLY |
| Alle Q, Le Borgne E, Bensadoun P, Lemey C, Béchir N, Gabanou M, Estermann F, Bertrand-Gaday C, Pessemesse L, Toupet K, Desprat R, Vialaret J, Hirtz C, Noël D, Jorgensen C, Casas F, Milhavet O, Lemaitre JM 2022 · Aging Cell | animal | tested-null | low | Independent lab: a single short in vivo OSKM reprogramming pulse improved tissue function and healthspan in mice, supporting OSK rejuvenation generality (non-ocular). |
| Schoenfeldt L, Paine PT, Picó S, Kamaludeen M NH, Phelps GB, Mrabti C, Desdín-Micó G, Del Carmen Maza M, Perez K, Ocampo A 2025 · EMBO Mol Med | animal | tested-null | low | Independent lab: chemical (OSK-mimetic) reprogramming ameliorated aging hallmarks and extended lifespan in mice - corroborates reprogramming-rejuvenation mechanism (non-ocular). |
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