Experimentation on Dogs Helps Study Human Day Blindness

Posted on March 18, 2008 in Latest News

Recent research conducted by Ernstt-Otto Ropstad focused upon the retinal disease known as cone-rod dystrophy found in Norwegian wirehaired dacshunds. These research findings are useful in treating corresponding disease found in people. The disease is a photoreceptor disease (disease of the retina cells) and occurs both in dogs as well as in people.

The retinal degeneration in people is known retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This is due to the regression of the rods found in the retina, which is also followed by cone regression.

Ropstad has shown that wirehaired dachshunds never had normal sight in daylight. This was due to defective development of retina cones. Pupil size is abnormal in many young dachshunds which are day blind

Among people, day blindness is a rare phenomenon, but is incapacitating. It affects young people and cannot be treated. Through his research, Ropstad has also laid the path for the development of a dog model, which can be useful in the treatment of comparable retinal disorder in both dogs and men.

Source:

» Filed Under Latest News

Comments

Leave a Reply