Jean Bennett facts for kids
Jean Bennett is a leading scientist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She is well-known for her research into gene therapy for eye diseases. Gene therapy is a special way to treat illnesses by fixing problems in a person's genes. Dr. Bennett's team developed the first FDA-approved gene therapy for humans. This treatment helps people who have a rare form of blindness. In 2022, she was chosen to be a member of the important National Academy of Sciences.
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Education and Early Life
Jean Bennett went to Hopkins School and then graduated from Yale University in 1976. She earned a bachelor of science in biology. Her father, William R. Bennett Jr., was a professor at Yale. In 1980, she received her PhD in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bennett then continued her studies at Harvard University, where she earned her medical degree (MD) in 1986.
Career Highlights
Early Discoveries
Dr. Bennett earned her PhD in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1980. Her early research looked at how sea urchin embryos develop. She then moved on to work at the University of California, San Francisco. There, she helped create new ways to edit genes. In 1982, she decided to attend medical school at Harvard University.
At Harvard, Dr. Bennett studied human genetics. She also investigated conditions like Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. From this work, she received a special grant. This grant helped her begin research on gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa. This is a genetic condition that causes blindness.
Developing a Treatment for Blindness
To create an effective gene therapy for the retina (the back of the eye), Dr. Bennett studied different viruses. She looked at adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses (AAV). These viruses can deliver new genes into cells. Her work was done at the University of Pennsylvania.
The field of gene therapy faced challenges after a patient passed away in a clinical trial in 1999. However, Dr. Bennett kept going. She showed that using AAV to deliver a working RPE65 gene greatly improved sight. This was first shown in nearly blind dogs.
Based on these successful studies, Dr. Bennett's team started clinical trials in children. These children had a problem with their RPE65 gene. The first trials showed a clear improvement in how well these children could see light and how well their eyes worked. Because of this success, the therapy, called LUXTURNA®, was approved by the FDA. This meant it could be used to treat people. Today, her lab continues to explore gene therapy for other eye diseases.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Bennett has received many important awards for her groundbreaking work.
- Sanford Lorraine Cross Award, Sanford Health, 2018
- António Champalimaud Vision Award, 2018
- Marion Spencer Fay Award, 2018
Patents
Dr. Bennett also holds many patents for her inventions. These patents protect her new ideas and methods. Some of her patents include:
- Method of treating or slowing down blindness (2012)
- Ways to test vision using virtual mobility tests (2019)
- Modified AAV8 virus for gene transfer in eye therapies (2015)
- Gene therapy for eye disorders (2018)
- Methods and ways to treat eye disorders and blinding diseases (2020)
