An eye disease that can lead to blindness is to be investigated thanks to funding worth £254,000, it was announced this week.
Retinoschisis is a genetic disorder that affects up to one in 5,000 individuals, primarily young men, and is characterised by the abnormal splitting of the retina’s sensory layers.
The condition, linked to a defective gene on the X-chromosome which can be passed on to males by their unaffected mothers, has no cure and treatment is limited to restricting further splitting of the layers to preserve some eye function.
But a cross-disciplinary team of researchers at the University of Manchester now plans to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the disease in the hope of finding a cure.
Professor Neil Bulleid, who is based in the university’s Faculty of Life Sciences, said retinoschisis causes the layers of cells in the retina to split, resulting in blistering and in some cases parts of the retina can become detached.
‘At present there is no cure for the condition,’ said Bulleid, ‘but if we can understand the molecular basis of the disease then we can look at the potential of new treatments.’
The three-year study – funded by the Medical Research Council – will build on research by Professor Bulleid’s collaborator in the project, Professor Dorothy Trump, in the University’s School of Medicine.
Professor Trump’s group has analysed gene faults associated with the disease which has led to the development of an NHS diagnostic test to identify the genetic risks of the disease being passed from mother to son.
University of Manchester team hopes to more a step closer to finding a cure for retinoschisis.