What is it about?

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) represents a group of hereditary retinal degenerations principally characterized by progressive rod-dominant photoreceptor degeneration in the initial stage and eventual cone photoreceptor degeneration in later stages. RP has been known to be initiated by photoreceptor apoptosis as a final common pathway at the cellular level, irrespective of gene mutations, and apoptosis can thus be considered as a therapeutic target.

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Why is it important?

Retinitis pigmentosa represents a group of hereditary retinal degenerations principally characterized by progressive rod-dominant photoreceptor degeneration in the initial stage and eventual cone photoreceptor degeneration in later stages. Patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) mainly complain of night blindness and photophobia in the early stage, followed by gradual constriction of the visual field, decreased visual acuity, and color blindness in later stages. The prevalence of RP is roughly 1 in 4,000-5,000 people, and the condition is common in both Asian and Western countries.

Perspectives

there are potentially multiple biological bases for the protective effect of calcium channel blockers on photoreceptors apoptosis in retinitis pigmentosa. Taken into account that not all calcium channel blockers are equally effective, the challenge for future laboratory research will be to determine the best type and dosage of specific crossing the blood-brain barrier calcium channel blocker and also to determine which processes are modulated by calcium channel blockers in vivo and therefore are primarily responsible for the apparent beneficial effects observed in the previous studies. Clearly, further observational studies cannot adequately address many unanswered questions. It is time to conduct a randomized controlled trial to provide direct evidence of the effectiveness of specific type of calcium channel blockers in lowering the progression of RP.

Prof., Dr Marianne M Shahsuvaryan
Yerevan State Medical University Named after Mkhitar Heratsi

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Apoptosis: Current therapeutic approach in retinitis pigmentosa, Journal of Physiology and Pathophysiology, May 2012, Academic Journals,
DOI: 10.5897/jpap11.015.
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