Cone photoreceptors, concentrated in the macula, are essential for reading, recognizing faces, and perceiving colors. Their death, as it happens in many inherited retinal diseases and macular degeneration, leads to the loss of central vision. Despite decades of research, no approved therapies can halt this process. This new study, conducted by first authors Stefan Spirig, Alvaro Herrero Navarro and collaborators, addresses this unmet need using a human-based experimental system.