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BGU Scientists Identify Gene That Leads to Myopia

BGU Scientists Identify Gene That Leads to Myopia

September 22, 2011

Medical Research

San Diego Jewish Journal — For decades, researchers have searched for the cause of myopia, a hereditary trait more commonly known as nearsightedness. A team of BGU researchers, led by Prof. Ohad Birk, has finally identified a mutation in LEPREL1 as the culprit.

Prof. Ohad Birk

Prof. Ohad Birk

Prof. Birk’s team made the breakthrough by studying a type of nearsightedness common in a specific Bedouin tribe and by collaborating with a Finnish group studying models using insect
cells.

Not only is nearsightedness the most common human eye disorder, it also leads to a higher incidence of secondary eye disorders.

Read the San Diego Jewish Journal article here >>