A treatment for one form of albinism?

Monday, September 26, 2011 - 11:31 in Health & Medicine

Individuals with oculocutaneous albinism, type 1 (OCA1) have white hair, very pale skin, and light-colored irises because they have none, or very little, of the pigment melanin in their skin, hair, and eyes. Affected individuals have impaired eyesight and a substantially increased risk of skin cancer. Current treatment options are limited to attempts to correct eyesight and counseling to promote the use of sun protective measures. A team of researchers, led by Brian Brooks, at the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, has now generated data in mice that provide hope for a new treatment for a subset of patients with OCA1.

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