Night blindness found in dogs

Dogs too can get afflicted with a form of night blindness seen in humans, researchers including one of Indian-origin have found for the first time, a discovery that may lead to a gene therapy for the disorder. People with congenital stationary night blindness, or CSNB, have normal vision during the day but find it difficult or impossible to distinguish objects in low light. Researchers have for the first time found a form of CSNB in dogs. The discovery and subsequent hunt for the genetic mutation responsible may one day allow for the development of gene therapy to correct the dysfunction in people as well as dogs, researchers said. The team included the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's Gautami Das, a postdoctoral researcher; Keiko Miyadera, an assistant professor of ophthalmology; and Gustavo Aguirre, professor of medical genetics and ophthalmology.