Retinitis Pigmentosa News and Research

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Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of inherited eye diseases that affect the retina (the light-sensitive part of the eye). RP causes the breakdown of photoreceptor cells (cells in the retina that detect light). Photoreceptor cells capture and process light helping us to see. As these cells breakdown and die, patients experience progressive vision loss. The most common feature of all forms of RP is a gradual breakdown of rods (retinal cells that detect dim light) and cones (retinal cells that detect light and color). Most forms of RP first cause the breakdown of rod cells. These forms of RP, sometimes called rod-cone dystrophy, usually begin with night blindness. Night blindness is somewhat like the experience normally sighted individuals encounter when entering a dark movie theatre on a bright, sunny day. However, patients with RP cannot adjust well to dark and dimly lit environments.

Researchers identify novel cellular entry factor for AAV vector types

Researchers led by a team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified a novel cellular entry factor for adeno-associated virus vector (AAV) types--the most commonly used viral vectors for in vivo gene therapy. AAVs are vectors-or vehicles--that are created from a virus that is made harmless by molecular engineering, and have shown promise transporting genetic therapy treatments to affected tissues.

23 Jan 2020

UPMC implants first patient in the U.S. with new wireless retinal device

UPMC has implanted the first patient in the United States with a new wireless retinal device as part of a clinical trial aimed at restoring partial sight to patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration, a disease that leads to permanent blindness.

13 Jan 2020

Researchers report first structural model for key enzyme associated with inherited eye diseases

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have reported the first structural model for a key enzyme, and its activating protein, that can play a role in some genetically inherited eye diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and night blindness.

8 Jan 2020

Exploring the link between macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa

Four words you never want to hear from the eye doctor are retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration.

25 Nov 2019

New imaging methods provide unprecedented close-up view of cilia linked to blindness

A new study published today by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and UT Health's McGovern Medical School in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals an unprecedented close-up view of cilia linked to blindness.

5 Nov 2019

Discovery in monkeys could pave way for treatment of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

A genetic mutation that leads to a rare, but devastating blindness-causing syndrome has been discovered in monkeys for the first time. The finding offers a promising way to develop gene and cell therapies that could treat the condition in people.

25 Oct 2019

New study on gene modulation may help prevent blindness

Genes borrowed from a spider turned Peter Parker into Spiderman. If scientists can use archaea--tiny organisms similar to bacteria--as a source of useful genes for humans, might it help prevent blindness one day?

27 Sep 2019

AR glasses could help improve quality of life for low vision patients

Nearly one in 30 Americans over the age of 40 experience low vision significant visual impairment that can't be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery.

27 Aug 2019

Thin photoelectric film can stimulate degenerated retinal tissues

In a study recently published in Advanced Biomedical Engineering, researchers at Okayama University report a thin photoelectric film which can stimulate degenerated retinal tissues of the eye.

29 Jul 2019

Research team detects novel mechanism of inheritance

Non-Mendelian, oligogenic inheritance could bean unrecognized and important element for occurrence ofhereditary retinal degenerations (HRDs, comprising retinitis pigmentosa) which are caused by ultra-rare mutations and cause progressive blindness.

18 Jul 2019

Complement system shown to remove dead cells in retinitis pigmentosa, contradicting previous research

Researchers have found that the complement system seems to protect against retinal degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa.

18 Jun 2019

Developing imaging techniques for early detection of eye and brain diseases

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but to scientists, they are also the window to the brain. In particular, the retina, a delicate light-sensing neural network with specialized cells at the back of the eyeball, is linked directly to the brain via the optic nerve and is considered by some to be part of the brain itself.

4 Apr 2019

Study finds no damaging role for microglia during retinal prion disease in mice

National Institutes of Health scientists studying the progression of inherited and infectious eye diseases that can cause blindness have found that microglia, a type of nervous system cell suspected to cause retinal damage, surprisingly had no damaging role during prion disease in mice.

28 Mar 2019

Promising gene therapy could restore vision in humans

It was surprisingly simple. University of California, Berkeley, scientists inserted a gene for a green-light receptor into the eyes of blind mice and, a month later, they were navigating around obstacles as easily as mice with no vision problems.

15 Mar 2019

New therapy could help prolong useful vision and delay total blindness

Millions of Americans are progressively losing their sight as cells in their eyes deteriorate, but a new therapy developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, could help prolong useful vision and delay total blindness.

14 Mar 2019

Gene behind mitochondrial disease has more varied effects than previously thought

For more than two decades, mutations in a gene located in the DNA of mitochondria have been classified as a mitochondrial disease and linked to a particular set of symptoms.

12 Mar 2019

CIRM announces funding for UCI researchers to develop new treatment for Huntington’s disease

Following a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Independent Citizens Oversight Committee meeting held last week, University of California, Irvine researchers learned they will receive $6 million in funding to support the continued development of a promising new treatment for Huntington's disease

5 Feb 2019

NIH grants awarded to Nanoscope to recruit talent and develop optogenetic delivery platforms

Retinal dystrophies such as Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are a major cause of vision loss in aging populations. National Eye Institute (NEI) estimates that the prevalence of advanced AMD will grow to nearly 3 million by 2020.

29 Jan 2019

Early studies and recent clinical trials on nerve growth factor

Nerve growth factor has been playing an important role in development of adult neurobiology. This is because of the regulatory functions that it possesses on survival, growth and differentiation of nerve cells in both of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

21 Jan 2019

Researchers successfully restore sense of vision in blind people using BVT's bionic eye

Bionic Vision Technologies Pty Ltd today announced medical researchers had successfully restored a sense of vision in four blind people with its bionic eye as part of a clinical trial in Melbourne.

22 Nov 2018