Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies Archive

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Our Mission and Overview

The Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies (ExpeRTs) facilitates the development, screening, and testing of novel retinal therapies that rescue or restore vision in people and animals.

ExpeRTs is actively engaged in multiple research projects relating to the inheritance of retinal degenerations in dogs, humans, and other mammals. These include efforts to identify the genes and locate the mutations associated with several separately inherited forms of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a significant disease of dogs that is also the genetic analog of retinitis pigmentosa, a group of retinal degenerations inherited in human families.

In parallel to these studies, the Division of ExpeRTs is involved in developing or applying novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of inherited retinal degenerations.

Our Research

Inherited retinal degenerative diseases are a major cause of blindness worldwide. In these conditions, photoreceptors, the cells responsible for transforming light into a signal that can be transmitted to and interpreted by the brain, are dysfunctional and/or slowly destroyed.

Veterinary ophthalmologists and vision scientists from the Division of ExpeRTs are dedicated to identifying the genetic causes of inherited blindness, delineating the mechanistic basis of genetic visual defects, and developing innovative and effective treatments to preserve or restore sight to the visually impaired.

Through the use of canine models, the group has contributed to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to disease, and is contributing to the development of novel therapies for both dogs and people.

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