Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of hereditary retinal diseases that often lead to blindness; an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people are affected in the United States. More than 10,000 patients are on file in this research center. Considerable progress has been made in defining the gene defects that cause these conditions, but the course of disease for most subgroups is not known. We propose to mode the course of disease based on data from our large number of patients with multiple visits and up to 32 years of follow-up. We will then use the optimal model as a template to define the rates of progression in patients with two relatively common subgroups of retinitis pigmentosa caused by USH2A or RPGR mutations, respectively. Rates of progression will be monitored with respect to visual acuity, visual field area and sensitivity, and full-field electroretinogram amplitude. We will perform genotype/phenotype correlations to see if rates of progression can be related to category of mutation. These data should provide guidelines for estimating long-term visual prognoses in patients with USH2A or RPGR mutations and provide a framework for considering gene-specific therapies that may arise in the future for these patients. We also propose to compare the course of disease in affected sibpairs, regardless of mutation, to facilitate identification of nutritional and other non-genetic factors that may affect rates of progression. Information derived from this research could reveal factors that are associated with a slower or faster course of disease with potential implications for therapy. We will also continue genotype/phenotype correlations in patients with newly defined gene defects.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY000169-34
Application #
6877693
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-VISC (01))
Program Officer
Dudley, Peter A
Project Start
1979-06-01
Project End
2008-03-31
Budget Start
2005-04-01
Budget End
2006-03-31
Support Year
34
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$423,750
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
047006379
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Potsidis, Emorfily; Berson, Eliot L; Sandberg, Michael A (2011) Disease course of patients with unilateral pigmentary retinopathy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:9244-9
Tanackovic, Goranka; Ransijn, Adriana; Thibault, Philippe et al. (2011) PRPF mutations are associated with generalized defects in spliceosome formation and pre-mRNA splicing in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Hum Mol Genet 20:2116-30
Tanackovic, Goranka; Ransijn, Adriana; Ayuso, Carmen et al. (2011) A missense mutation in PRPF6 causes impairment of pre-mRNA splicing and autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Am J Hum Genet 88:643-9
Sandberg, Michael A; Johnson, Elizabeth J; Berson, Eliot L (2010) The relationship of macular pigment optical density to serum lutein in retinitis pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 51:1086-91
McGee, Terri L; Seyedahmadi, Babak Jian; Sweeney, Meredith O et al. (2010) Novel mutations in the long isoform of the USH2A gene in patients with Usher syndrome type II or non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa. J Med Genet 47:499-506
den Hollander, Anneke I; McGee, Terri L; Ziviello, Carmela et al. (2009) A homozygous missense mutation in the IRBP gene (RBP3) associated with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 50:1864-72
Rio Frio, Thomas; McGee, Terri L; Wade, Nicholas M et al. (2009) A single-base substitution within an intronic repetitive element causes dominant retinitis pigmentosa with reduced penetrance. Hum Mutat 30:1340-7
Hartong, Dyonne T; McGee, Terri L; Sandberg, Michael A et al. (2009) Search for a correlation between telomere length and severity of retinitis pigmentosa due to the dominant rhodopsin Pro23His mutation. Mol Vis 15:592-7
Sandberg, Michael A; Rosner, Bernard; Weigel-DiFranco, Carol et al. (2008) Disease course in patients with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa due to the USH2A gene. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 49:5532-9
Hartong, Dyonne T; Dange, Mayura; McGee, Terri L et al. (2008) Insights from retinitis pigmentosa into the roles of isocitrate dehydrogenases in the Krebs cycle. Nat Genet 40:1230-4

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