A genetic mutation that leads to a rare, but devastating blindness-causing syndrome has been discovered in monkeys for the first time. The finding offers a promising way to develop gene and cell therapies that could treat the condition in people. Three rhesus macaques with a mutated gene that's associated with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) have been discovered, according to a study published in the December 2019 issue of Experimental Eye Research. The article is titled “Bardet-Biedel Syndrome in Rhesus Macaques: A Nonhuman Primate Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa.” It is the first known naturally occurring non-human primate model of the syndrome. BBS leads to vision loss, kidney disfunction, extra fingers or toes, and other symptoms. It occurs in 1 of 140,000 to 160,000 North American births. "There is no cure for Bardet-Biedel Syndrome today, but having a naturally occurring animal model for the condition could help us find one in the future," said the paper's corresponding author, Martha Neuringer, PhD, a Professor of Neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and a research associate Professor of Ophthalmology in the OHSU School of Medicine and OHSU Casey Eye Institute. Rhesus macaques with this disease could help more than just BBS patients. BBS is part of a larger family of diseases called retinitis pigmentosa, in which all of the diseases affect the retina, or the back part of the eye. A naturally occurring animal model for BBS might help researchers find treatments for a variety of retinitis pigmentosa diseases.Login Or Register To Read Full Story