Progressive blindness (XLRP) treatment

Gene defects in dogs and people cause a progressive, inherited blindness called Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP). Gene therapy treatment developed at the University of Pennsylvania was able to treat this disease in dogs.
“While the exact disease mechanism of the RPGR form of XLRP is still unknown, the researchers were able to successfully treat dogs with two different RPGR mutations. The mutations disrupt photoreceptors in different ways, but both ultimately cause them to become useless for vision. While this form of blindness is rare in dogs, it is common in humans. Patients with XLRP usually begin to lose night vision as children and become almost totally blind by middle age. ” Continue reading Progressive blindness (XLRP) treatment

Cure for Inherited Day Blindness in Canines

Gene Therapy Cures Canines of Inherited Form of Day Blindness, Penn Veterinary Researchers Say
April 21, 2010
PHILADELPHIA- Veterinary ophthalmology researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to restore retinal cone function and day vision in two canine models of congenital achromatopsia, also called rod monochromacy or total color blindness.
Continue reading Cure for Inherited Day Blindness in Canines