[Experimental therapeutic modalities for retinitis pigmentosa]

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases that cause retinal degeneration, often leading to blindness. Over the last decade, the advent of molecular biological techniques has greatly improved our understanding of the genetic and molecular processes underlying these diseases. This has prompted research efforts aimed at the development of novel therapeutic modalities for RP, and the purpose of this review is to present current trends in this field. In this first of two parts, advances in gene therapy, the use of neurotrophic growth factors, and attempts to alter disease progression by vitamins and nutritional modification are discussed. Experimental treatments involving surgical intervention will be addressed in a future, second part of this review that will include the topics of retinal and retinal pigment epithelium transplantation, the potential use of stem cells to replace degenerating retinal cells, and the development of "artificial vision" using electro-optical devices. The encouraging progress made in these various experimental directions lends hope that efficient treatment for at least some of the patients suffering from these blinding diseases is within sight.