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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Mans best friend may be able to do more than guide the blind. Researchers say the discovery of a gene in a dachshund could eventually help people who suffer from eye disorders that can lead to blindness.
Cone-rod dystrophies (CRD) are a group of eye diseases caused by progressive loss of the photoreceptor cells in the retina. These cells allow us to see in bright light. Loss of cones results in day blindness that can eventually lead to total blindness. Research looking at inherited cases of human CRD has not been very successful. But now researchers have identified a mutation in a novel gene for the early onset of CRD in a standard wire-haired dachshund.
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Eye disorders are one of the most frequently inherited disorders in dogs but CRD is common in only a few breeds. Investigators isolated a region on chromosome 5 that is associated with CRD in the dachshund. A search for mutations of this area revealed a portion of one of the genes had been deleted and is likely responsible for CRD. This gene has been associated with both kidney and eye disease in humans as well. In the dog, researchers found a mutation that affects only the eyes.
The hope is that this investigation of the genetic bases for CRD in dogs could help in the development of treatments for humans.
SOURCE: Published online in Genome Research
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