Terapia génica y cribado basado en IA en el futuro de la oftalmología

The rapid convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and gene therapy is redefining the future of ophthalmology by enabling earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of retinal diseases. This multinational cross-sectional study conducted in Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador analyzed the relationship between AI-based retinal screening and the clinical outcomes of gene therapy interventions. A total of 1,260 adults were included, distributed across tertiary and primary care centers. AI diagnostic systems (IDx-DR, EyeArt, and ARDA) achieved high performance, with sensitivities ranging from 88% to 94% and specificities between 84% and 89%. The most frequent conditions detected were diabetic retinopathy (47%), age-related macular degeneration (32%), and inherited retinal dystrophies (21%). Gene therapy demonstrated substantial efficacy, with Voretigene Neparvovec yielding a 45% mean visual improvement, AAV8-based anti-VEGF therapy achieving 38%, and CRISPR/optogenetic interventions showing 29%, all with adverse events below 8%. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) was observed between early AI detection and post-therapy visual improvement. Mexico exhibited the highest level of integration between AI and gene therapy programs, followed by Colombia and Ecuador. These findings highlight that the synergistic integration of AI-driven diagnostics and gene-based treatments can significantly improve visual outcomes and healthcare efficiency. The study supports a regional transition toward precision ophthalmology, promoting equitable access to advanced technologies and reducing the burden of preventable blindness across Latin America.