BGU Scientists Identify Gene That Leads to Myopia
BGU Scientists Identify Gene That Leads to Myopia
September 22, 2011
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. 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.