A Chinese research team reported safety and feasibility for a subretinal AAV8 gene therapy delivering an RS1 transgene to photoreceptors in pediatric X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS). Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study enrolled a dozen patients aged 5–18 with genetically confirmed RS1 disease and used an AAV8 vector designed for more specific expression via a human rhodopsin kinase promoter. The report adds clinical weight to subretinal delivery strategies for XLRS, where no approved disease-modifying therapy currently targets the underlying RS1 defect. The paper also names Chengdu Genevector Biotechnology as a sponsor and manufacturer of the clinical-grade vectors used. The findings arrive as Atsena Therapeutics continues evaluation of ATSN-201 in a pivotal cohort using a parallel subretinal approach, keeping XLRS gene therapy development tightly focused on delivery route and retinal cell targeting.