Gene Mutation, The Cause of Myopia?

MKoop

RESEARCHERS LINK GENE MUTATION TO CAUSE OF MYOPIA. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has issued a news release stating that one of its research groups has identified a gene, LEPREL1, whose defect causes myopia. The discovery was a group effort at BGU's Morris Kahn Laboratory of Human Genetics at the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev and the Dayan Clinical Genetics Wing at SorokaUniversity Medical Center. LEPREL1 encodes an enzyme essential for the final modification of collagen in the eye, but in the absence of the active form of this enzyme, aberrant collagen is formed, causing the human eye to be longer than normal. Consequently, light beams entering the eye focus in front of the retina rather than on the retina, leading to myopia.

the discovery of this gene could help scientist and doctors develop a cure for myopia.

this could affect everyone that has myopia and their families as well.