Hope of a 'cure' for RP hastened by findings

RP, the most common form of genetic blindness, is an untreatable condition and often results in the sufferer being registered blind before the age of 40. However, a paper in the latest issue of Nature Genetics (July edition) claims that the successful introduction of a missing gene into the eyes of mice may lead to an eventual cure. Authors Drs Robin Ali and Adrian Thrasher have found that by inserting the missing gene into mice, they could correct the underlying genetic defect and restore function to the photoreceptors. In contrast to photoreceptors in untreated mice, the altered photoreceptors responded to light, suggesting that the treated animals were able to see. A specially-modified virus was used to transport the missing gene into a significant proportion of the photoreceptor cells. The gene appeared to function correctly and restore normal photoreceptor structure. Dr Claire Walker, director of the optical charity Fight for Sight which helped fund the research, called the study's outcome 'a very positive and most welcome step' towards a remedy for RP and macular dystrophy. The authors led four groups of researchers at the Institute of Ophthalmology and the Institute of Child Health in the UK, and the German University Eye Hospitals in Tübingen and Leipzig.