Hope Through Research

Findings by researchers working with the grant support of Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) lead to the discovery that RP symptoms are caused by the death of cells in the retina.  The retina is a light detecting layer inside the eye that sends visual images to the brain.  In most cases of RP, retinal cells called rod photoreceptors are the first to die, followed by cone photoreceptors.  

Rods are concentrated in the periphery of the retina.  They help us see in dim light.  Therefore, as the death of rod cells advances, night vision and then peripheral vision progressively disappear. In fact, night blindness is an early symptom of RP.  When cones die first, central vision and color vision are impacted before peripheral vision.

RPB researchers are uncovering causes of retinitis pigmentosa and creating new approaches for cures and treatments.

Discoveries related to causes of retinitis pigmentosa

• Gene mutations responsible for RP (Abstract)
• Environmental factors that could be influencing RP gene expression (Abstract)
• The cascade of events within photoreceptor cells that lead to cell death 
• How dying photoreceptor cells could be killing healthy neighboring cells (Abstract) 

Developments leading to screening for retinitis pigmentosa  

• A disease chip for testing the DNA of patients with all forms of RP
• Physical and genetic standards for classifying RP patients for clinical trials to test treatments (Abstract)

Advances leading to therapies for retinitis pigmentosa

• Possible drugs to block the death signals within and between cells
• Upcoming gene therapy for Usher syndrome 1B, a major type of RP
• Refinements to retinal implants that would stimulate vision artificially (Abstract)