Colour blindness.

SCIENTISTS have cured colour blindness in monkeys, bringing hope to millions of human sufferers worldwide.

Researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Florida made the breakthrough with two squirrel monkeys using gene therapy.

Experts believe the news casts a rosy light on the potential to treat adult vision disorders involving "cone cells" - the most important human vision cells. Ophthalmic molecular geneticist, Prof William Hauswirth, said: "Although colour blindness is only moderately lifealtering, we've shown we can cure a cone disease in a primate, and that it can be done very safely."