Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common form of heritable retinal degeneration and leads to progressive loss of vision due to the breakdown and loss of photoreceptor cells in the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. RP results from a diverse group of genetic mutations in genes that regulate key biological mechanisms related to visual perception. Individuals suffering from this disease first experience night blindness, followed by tunnel vision and, ultimately, blindness due to the gradual loss of central vision. Classified as a rare disease, RP affects approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States and roughly 1.5 million people worldwide. There is currently no cure for RP.

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