AAV was first discovered using electron microscopy during the adenovirus preparation process and subsequently isolated from human tissues [
21,
22]. With the cloning of wild-type (WT) AAV2 sequences, more biological characteristics of AAV have been elucidated [
23–
25]. Soon after AAV was vectorized for gene delivery, the development of a trans completion system made it possible to produce recombinant AAV (rAAV) with high quality, promoting the application of AAV in vivo gene therapy [
26–
28]. In 1995, AAV was first used in a human patient to treat cystic fibrosis [
28], and then the therapeutic effect of AAV-based gene therapy was verified in the treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) patients [
18–
20]. Ideal results from the first ophthalmic randomized controlled trial in gene therapy prompt the approval of Luxturna, an AAV2-based medication for LCA associated with retinal pigment epithelial 65 (RPE65), by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 [
29]. Since then, gene therapy has gained its place in the treatment of eye diseases, and several clinical trials are underway to tackle other ocular monogenic disorders using this strategy (Fig.
1). Degenerative diseases of the retina can occur at any stage of life and mostly lead to severe visual loss [
1]. Retinal degenerations address enormous and heterogeneous types of disorders, with genetic abnormalities and predisposing factors determining the disease pathogenesis [
30]. Some of them, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other types of inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), carry mutations in one or more genes, which are expressed in the RPE or photoreceptor cells of the retina, leading to severe visual impairment or even total loss of light perception [
31]. These mutations may deactivate certain genes that are associated with biosynthesis, phototransduction, and folding of the rhodopsin (RHO) protein [
32]. RP is a typical IRD that frequently carries mutations in RHO gene. Within RP, the most common mutation found in RHO gene disturbs the biological activity of RHO protein, leading to cellular dysfunction of photoreceptors [
33]. Another group of degenerative disorders affecting photoreceptor cell survival is a complex disorder with various genetic and environmental factors. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an ocular disorder with complex onset. A series of genetic, proteomic, environmental, and cellular changes were proven to be risk factors for AMD, and various therapeutic strategies are required to treat these complex retinal degenerations [
34]. Small molecular compounds have been identified as potential treatments for ocular diseases. Ciliary neurotrophic factor, a member of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines, could decrease photoreceptor loss during retinal degeneration [
35]. Intraocular injection of purified recombination ciliary neurotrophic factor has been demonstrated to rescue photoreceptors in different types of RP animal models, while a preclinical study showed that ciliary neurotrophic factor treatment leads to a dose-dependent increase in retinal thickness in RP patients [
36]. A category of gene-coding proteins, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3), and Fibulin 5, was considered to be risk factors for AMD. Of these, VEGF plays a dominant role in directly and indirectly influencing vascular neovascularization and the progression of AMD. VEGF is currently regarded as the target of anti-AMD therapies [
34]. Anti-VEGF antibody therapies such as ranibizumab and bevacizumab have led to current best practice guidelines in treating AMD [
37]. However, overall, small molecular treatments for ocular diseases have marked limitations that make them less useful. The limited therapeutic effects of traditional medicine were possibly due to a lack of specificity and the demand of periodic administration, and a genetic-defect-targeting treatment strategy for each type of ocular diseases may be more promising [
38]. Massive mutations in inherited ocular diseases, especially IRDs, have been identified, and with continuous understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, new treatments are emerging.