Progress in diagnosis and treatment of retinitis pigmentosa / 中华眼底病杂志

ABSTRACT

Retinitis pigmentosa is a hereditary disease which is characterized by damage in retinal photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelium. Its main clinical features include low vision with night blindness, progressive visual field defects, and abnormal electroretinograms. The development of gene sequencing, the diagnosis and treatment methods of retinitis pigmentosa update year by year, including gene therapy, stem cell therapy, optogenetic therapy, etc. However, there is still a big gap in these treatments from laboratory technology into effective clinical treatment drugs. Some problems which include immune response, potential mutagenesis and tumorigenesis of the inserted region, genetic toxicity, quality and stability of gene technology and stem cell technology, mass production and promotion of clinical grade drugs, and optimization of the effectiveness of drugs and surgery, etc, remain to be solved by researchers.