The relationship between retinitis pigmentosa in humans and cats

Dr. Kristina Narfstrom of the University of Missouri in the United States has discovered a genetic link between two types of retinitis pigmentosa (Retinitis Pigmentosa, referred to as RP) in humans and cats.

Dr. Narfstrom said people and cats with retinitis have a common form of mutation.

Dr. Narfstrom said that RP-infected people and cats all have a common form of genetic mutation. Therefore, these mutated cats can be used as experimental animals to assess the effectiveness of gene therapy for human RP disease.

Scientists have studied gene mutations in two groups of cats; a group of cats was born with RP and a group of cats were later ruled by the RP, thereby identifying the genes that caused RP in cats.

In this study, scientists found that later RP-infected cats had a mutation in the CEP290 gene, similar to the gene mutation in people with congenital blindness. The finding could help scientists find genetic therapies to help people with retinitis avoid blindness.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of eye diseases that affect the retina. This is a genetic disease and characterized by gradual degeneration leading to the destruction of the retinal light cells of the retina, mainly cone cells and rod cells (rod cells). ).

At first, people with the disease have reduced or lost sight at night, then lost sight of the surrounding area and eventually led to blindness. On average for every 3,500 patients with RP disease, one person is completely blind.