@article{petters_alexander_wells_collins_sommer_blanton_rojas_hao_flowers_banin_et al._1997, title={Genetically engineered large animal model for studying cone photoreceptor survival and degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa}, volume={15}, ISSN={["1087-0156"]}, DOI={10.1038/nbt1097-965}, abstractNote={Patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) typically develop night blindness early in life due to loss of rod photoreceptors. The remaining cone photoreceptors are the mainstay of their vision; however, over years or decades, these cones slowly degenerate, leading to blindness. We created transgenic pigs that express a mutated rhodopsin gene (Pro347Leu). Like RP patients with the same mutation, these pigs have early and severe rod loss; initially their cones are relatively spared, but these surviving cones slowly degenerate. By age 20 months, there is only a single layer of morphologically abnormal cones and the cone electroretinogram is markedly reduced. Given the strong similarities in phenotype to that of RP patients, these transgenic pigs will provide a large animal model for study of the protracted phase of cone degeneration found in RP and for preclinical treatment trials.}, number={10}, journal={NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY}, author={Petters, RM and Alexander, CA and Wells, KD and Collins, EB and Sommer, JR and Blanton, MR and Rojas, G and Hao, Y and Flowers, WL and Banin, E and et al.}, year={1997}, month={Oct}, pages={965–970} }