Cellular waste causes retinitis pigmentosa, researchers report

Salt Lake City-Researchers at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center have identified gene mutations that impair the ability of the photoreceptor cells to dispose of waste properly and as a result cause retinitis pigmentosa.

Salt Lake City-Researchers at the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center have identified gene mutations that impair the ability of the photoreceptor cells to dispose of waste properly and as a result cause retinitis pigmentosa.

The discovery raises concerns that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors may adversely affect vision, according to a November online report of the Journal Molecular Genetics.

Patients in the study each had a mutation in which a defect in the process responsible for handling carbon dioxide waste and maintaining acid and base balance led to photoreceptor degeneration, said Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, the senior author.

Related Videos
Related Content
© 2023 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.