[Molecular pathology of retinitis pigmentosa]

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is primary, chronic, and hereditary chorioretinal degeneration characterized by photopsia, progressive visual loss with ring scotoma, and impairment of dark adaptation. Although modern molecular biology and molecular genetics have identified many causative genes, the molecular pathophysiology of RP is not fully understood, and no effective treatments have been found yet. In recent studies using animal models of RP, new treatments have been devised and their clinical use is being considered.

In terms of the molecular pathophysiology of RP, we summarized previous studies of genetic impairment of proteins involved in the phototransduction pathway and introduced new possible therapies for RP.

We found that most abnormalities of the genes related with the photoxcitation and its inhibition process in the photoreceptor cells caused a variety of clinical manifestations of RP.

So far, a variety of abnormalities of the genes causing RP have been identified. However, further studies of the relationship between the abnormalities and clinical expression are needed for better understanding of the pathophysiology of RP.