Stargardt Disease:
Researchers from Switzerland say they have developed a gene editing technique that could perhaps help treat Stargardt disease.
- It is also known as Stargardt macular degeneration.
- It is commonly caused by changes in a gene, ABCA4. This gene influences how the human body uses Vitamin A.
- It is an inherited disease that leads to progressive vision loss in children and young adults. It is usually bilateral, involving both eyes.
- People with this disease have too much lipofuscin. It builds up over the macula, which is the central part of the retina and is responsible for clear and sharp central vision.
- Everybody’s eyes contain a yellowish-brown pigment called lipofuscin that builds up in cells as people age.
- The most common symptom of the Stargardt disease is a slow loss of central vision in both eyes. Some people lose their central vision more quickly than others.
- Other symptoms may include Gray, black, or hazy spots in the center of the vision, sensitivity to light and color blindness.
