A common form of blindness has been successfully treated in dogs using gene therapy. The technique, which replaces a faulty gene with a functional one, could be used to restore sight to thousands of people affected by the disease.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disease affecting the cells at the back of the eye that detect light, called rods and cones. The vision of those affected gets progressively worse, causing tunnel vision, until it is completely lost, usually between their 50s and 60s. There is currently no cure. But in the latest research, the vision of four dogs was restored using the new gene therapy, raising hopes of a human treatment.

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• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1118847109
• Publication date: 23 Jan 12

Scientists have developed nanoparticles that boost the effectiveness of vaccines in mice by mimicking part of the natural immune response. The new technology could improve existing vaccines and also be used in future medicines to protect people against a range of infections.

The technique is based on previous research that found that specialised cells in the skin, called mast cells, release ‘granules’ when they come into contact with bacteria or viruses. These small particles contain chemical signals and travel to lymph nodes where they help activate the immune response against the infection.

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• Journal: Nature Materials
• DOI: 10.1038/nmat3222
• Publication date: 22 Jan 12

Recent findings that a gene associated with schizophrenia also causes abnormal sleep patterns in mice have led scientists to ponder whether the mental illness and sleep disturbance could be genetically linked. If true, the research could lead to better diagnosis and control of schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia often report trouble sleeping. This led scientists to look at the sleeping patterns of mice with a defect in the SNAP25 gene, a mouse strain often used in the study of schizophrenia. Previous studies have also linked SNAP25 to schizophrenia in people.

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• Journal: Current Biology
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.12.051
• Publication date: 19 Jan 12

Scientists have found that omega-3 fatty acids can help speed up recovery from nerve damage. Mice with high levels of the fatty acid showed higher resistance to nerve damage and faster recovery. Nerves can easily be damaged. Unfortunately, their self-repair can be extremely slow meaning that people must live with pain and reduced mobility for a long time after the initial injury. There is currently little doctors can do to help.

To study the effect of high levels of the fatty acid, mice were genetically modified so that they lacked an enzyme that breaks down the molecule, resulting in higher levels in the blood. Nerves were surgically removed from the mice and subjected to damage by stretching and by oxygen starvation. Nerves from the GM mice showed greater resistance to this damage than those from normal mice.

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• Journal: The Journal of Neuroscience
• DOI: 10.1523/?JNEUROSCI.3371-11.2012
• Publication date: 11 Jan 12