There’s no effective treatment for a common form of blindness called inherited retinal dystrophy that affects millions of people worldwide. It’s going to take gene therapy. We’ve now gotten one step closer with research on blind dogs that has identified a gene responsible for a significant proportion of all canine cases of the disease. It’s called the IFT122 gene, and people have its equivalent. A mutation in the gene can cause the condition.
Researchers from Finland’s University of Helsinki report that their discovery will not only help lead to treatment for people. It will allow breeders to breed out retinal dystrophy from their lines so that the disease does not affect our pets.
“There are a lot more gene findings associated with eye diseases on the way in canine research,” says investigator Hannes Lohi, whose team reported its finding in the journal Human Genetics. “We are only just getting started.”
