Category Archives: Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa is an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye that converts light images to nerve signals and sends them to the brain. Retinitis pigmentosa can run in families. The disorder can be caused by a number of genetic defects. The cells controlling night vision (rods) are most likely to be affected. However, in some cases, retinal cone cells are damaged the most. The main sign of the disease is the presence of dark deposits in the retina. The main risk factor is a family history of retinitis pigmentosa. It is an uncommon condition affecting about 1 in 4,000 people in the United States. Symptoms often first appear in childhood, but severe vision problems do not usually develop until early adulthood. Tests to evaluate the retina: There is no effective treatment for this condition. Wearing sunglasses to protect the retina from ultraviolet light may help preserve vision. Some studies have suggested that treatment with antioxidants (such as high doses of vitamin A palmitate) may slow the disease. However, taking high doses of vitamin A can cause serious liver problems. The benefit of … Continue reading →

About retinitis pigmentosa Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a diverse group of inherited eye disorders. These eye conditions affect a part of your eye called the retina. RP causes permanent changes to your vision but how quickly this happens and how it changes differs between people. These changes may include difficulty with vision in dim light or the dark and the loss of your side or peripheral vision. If you have RP, sight loss is gradual but progresses over a period of many years. Some people with RP might become blind but most people with RP keep some useful vision well into old age. New research is constantly changing our understanding of RP. The British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society (RP Fighting Blindness) website and leaflets offer current updates with detailed explanations of these issues. When you look at something, light passes through the front of your eye, and is focused by the lens onto your retina. The retina is a delicate tissue that is sensitive to light. It converts the light into electrical signals that travel along the optic nerve to your brain. The brain then interprets these signals to "see" the world around you. The retina has … Continue reading →

What is retinitis pigmentosa? Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common of a group of hereditary progressive retinal degenerations or dystrophies. There is considerable variation and overlap among the various forms of retinitis pigmentosa. Common to all of them is progressive degeneration of the retina, specifically of the light receptors, known as the rods and cones. The rods of the retina are involved earlier in the course of the disease, and cone deterioration occurs later. In this progressive degeneration of the retina, the peripheral vision slowly constricts and central vision is usually retained until late in the disease. Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited condition which involves both eyes. If it starts in one eye, the other eye usually develops the same condition in a number of years. Most cases are familial, inherited in a variety of ways, including dominant, recessive, and sex-linked recessive. Some cases are sporadic and lack a family history of the disease. A thorough genetic pedigree, often with the aid of a genetic counselor, is essential in determining risk of future generations acquiring the disease. Retinitis pigmentosa is usually diagnosed during the teenage years but may be present at birth. The latter congenital type is usually fairly stable … Continue reading →

What is retinitis pigmentosa? Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) refers to a group of inherited diseases causing retinal degeneration. The cell-rich retina lines the back inside wall of the eye. It is responsible for capturing images from the visual field. People with RP experience a gradual decline in their vision because photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) die. Forms of RP and related diseases include Usher syndrome, Lebers congenital amaurosis, rod-cone disease, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and Refsum disease, among others. Symptoms depend on whether rods or cones are initially involved. In most forms of RP, rods are affected first. Because rods are concentrated in the outer portions of the retina and are triggered by dim light, their degeneration affects peripheral and night vision. When the more centrally located cones - responsible for color and sharp central vision - become involved, the loss is in color perception and central vision. Night blindness is one of the earliest and most frequent symptoms of RP. People with mainly cone degeneration, however, first experience decreased central vision and ability to discriminate color. RP is typically diagnosed in adolescents and young adults. It is a progressive disorder. The rate of progression and degree of visual loss varies from person … Continue reading →

What is Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)? Retinitis Pigmentosa is an eye deficiency which leads to a progressive loss of eyesight and eventual blindness. The disease is also known as night blindness or tunnel vision for the different stages in the degeneration of the eyesight. Extensive study has proven that Retinitis Pigmentosa is a hereditary deficiency. A real cure for the disease is not available but some treatments can stop the progress of the loss of sight in a temporal or definitive way. The objective of this unique treatment is to control the progressive deterioration of the eyesight. The treatment is most effective in the early stages of the disease. The treatment consists of 4 parts: Scientific research on patients following the treatment has proven that the progress of the disease comes to a stop in 76 % of the cases. A small part (16 %) of the patients even showed signs of improving their visual capabilities after the treatment. This treatment is done solely in the Camilo Cienfuegos Ophthalmological Centre which is located in Havana, Cuba. The base treatment requires 3 weeks of hospitalization. Patients from all over the world without distinction are accepted and treated at this Retinitis Pigmentosa clinic. … Continue reading →

Reviewed October 2010 Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of related eye disorders that cause progressive vision loss. These disorders affect the retina, which is the layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In people with retinitis pigmentosa, vision loss occurs as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate. The first sign of retinitis pigmentosa is usually a loss of night vision, which becomes apparent in childhood. Problems with night vision can make it difficult to navigate in low light. Later, the disease causes blind spots to develop in the side (peripheral) vision. Over time, these blind spots merge to produce tunnel vision. The disease progresses over years or decades to affect central vision, which is needed for detailed tasks such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces. In adulthood, many people with retinitis pigmentosa become legally blind. The signs and symptoms of retinitis pigmentosa are most often limited to vision loss. When the disorder occurs by itself, it is described as nonsyndromic. Researchers have identified several major types of nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa, which are usually distinguished by their pattern of inheritance: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked. Less commonly, retinitis pigmentosa occurs as part of syndromes that … Continue reading →

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RetroSense Therapeutics (www.retro-sense.com) announced today that it has been identified and selected by Windhover (Elsevier Business Intelligence) as a Top Project to Watch: Most Licensable Products. RetroSense Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company at the forefront of developing optogenetic therapies for vision restoration. TheTop Projects to Watch are hand-picked by a panel of independent experts who screen hundreds of compounds and weigh their potential as future products." "Selected companies have been screened using a strict set of judging criteria for the Top 10 award and represent what our committees consider among the most attractive opportunities the industry has to offer," said David Cassak, Vice President, Content, Elsevier Business Intelligence. "Winners have met rigorous criteria, including: unmet medical need, market potential, diversity of indications, strong science, multi-level partnering opportunities (biotech and pharma), potential for new opportunities beyond initial indications and corporate stability. As the industry leader in strategic analysis and transaction tracking, our main goal is to give these companies exposure to potential investors, partners, and acquirers. We are delighted to receive this accolade, which reflects the excitement surrounding our lead product RST-001, and the promise it holds in vision restoration, said RetroSense Therapeutics CEO, Sean Ainsworth. … Continue reading →

Retinal Prosthesis System: 2014 Medical Innovation No. 1 In 2013 the FDA approved a novel retinal implant system. This retinal prosthesis is a game changer for those suffering from Retinitis Pigmentosa, or RP and o... By: ClevelandClinic … Continue reading →

Davonte Pollard can only see colors. Diagnosed as a 9-year-old with retinitis pigmentosa, the Braddock High (Miami, Fla.) senior running back is legally blind, as brought to Prep Rally's attention in a Miami Herald feature. Still, he can see the open green grass amid the sea of Bulldogs blue and white crashing against the blue and gold of crosstown rival Coral Park. And that's all he needed. Leading 52-21 late in the fourth quarter, Braddock coach Frank Rojas ran a no-huddle offense, resulting in a touchdown as time expired, the Herald reported. He called Pollard's number (50) for the 2-point conversion attempt, and the senior plunged it in on a play called "47 stretch" for the 60-21 final -- the Bulldog's lone victory of the season. "After the game we were shaking hands, and I was so excited my hand was shaking," Pollard told the paper. "Everybody was happy for me; everybody was giving me hugs." Pollard's earlier conversion attempt failed when "he took a good lick," but he wouldn't be denied on the game's final play -- one that actually set him in motion in the backfield. Pollard reportedly only had two rushing attempts since joining the team as … Continue reading →

Public release date: 14-Oct-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Alexandra Bassil a.bassil@miami.edu 305-284-1092 University of Miami Research led by physician-scientists at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has produced a breakthrough discovery in diagnosing retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding disease that affects about 1 in 4,000 people in the United States. Rong Wen, M.D., Ph.D., and Byron Lam, M.D., professors of ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer, in collaboration with biochemist Ziqiang Guan, Ph.D., a research associate professor at Duke University Medical School, discovered a key marker in blood and urine that can identify people who carry genetic mutations in a gene responsible for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). "A simple urine test can tell who has the RP-causing mutations," said Dr. Wen. "Collecting urine is non-invasive and easy, especially from young children." The first mutation in this gene, named DHDDS, was identified in 2011 by scientists at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, including Stephan Zuchner, M.D., Ph.D., professor and Interim Chair of the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, Wen, Lam, and Margaret A. Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., Director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, on behalf of … Continue reading →