Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (PRCD) is a small protein residing in the light-sensitive membranes of the photoreceptor cells. The function of PRCD has remained a mystery since its gene and associated mutation were discovered as one of the most common causes of retinal degeneration in dogs. Furthermore, mutations in this protein have since been identified to cause blindness in human patients diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa.
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on June 12, 2019, with Vadim Arshavsky, PhD as corresponding author found that PRCD is responsible for the light-sensitive membranes assuming their unique shape required for efficient light capture. Without PRCD, these membranes bulge and release extracellular vesicles, which massively accumulate in the extracellular space and ultimately cause inflammation and retinal pathology. Understanding that this pathology is associated with a distinct inflammatory response leads the way to developing future therapies to treat this form of inherited blindness.