Artificial Intelligence and Gene Therapy in Ophthalmic Diseases: Current Landscape and Future Directions

A wide range of ophthalmic diseases, from prevalent conditions like age-related macular degeneration to rare genetic retinal disorders, present considerable challenges to global health. This review explores the groundbreaking possibilities of combining artificial intelligence (AI) with gene therapy in ophthalmology, highlighting recent progress, existing challenges, and prospects. AI technologies have shown exceptional precision in diagnostic imaging and predictive analytics, improving early detection and personalized treatment approaches for retinal diseases. Gene therapy has demonstrated encouraging outcomes in clinical trials for inherited retinal disorders. The synergistic potential of AI and gene therapy is evident in optimizing patient selection, monitoring therapeutic outcomes, and enabling adaptive treatment protocols. Emerging trends, including real-time adaptive treatments and combination therapies, underscore the necessity for interdisciplinary collaboration and investment in infrastructure. To implement these technologies responsibly, it is important to focus on regulatory and ethical concerns, including data privacy and equitable access. By leveraging the potential of artificial intelligence and gene therapy, ophthalmology is poised to enter a transformative era marked by precision, personalization, and innovation, which is anticipated to greatly improve patient outcomes and overall quality of life.