RDH12 (retinol dehydrogenase 12) is an NADPH-dependent retinal reductase expressed in photoreceptor inner segments that plays dual roles in retinal function and cellular protection 1. Functionally, RDH12 catalyzes the reduction of all-trans, 9-cis, and 11-cis retinaldehydes with high efficiency, contributing to visual cycle regeneration of the visual pigment 2. Beyond vision, RDH12 detoxifies lipid peroxidation products, particularly 4-hydroxynonenal, protecting photoreceptors from oxidative damage 1. Mutations in RDH12 cause severe inherited retinal dystrophies with distinct disease mechanisms. RDH12 mutations are associated with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, accounting for 7.0-7.7% of cases in affected populations 34. Disease manifestations include early-onset severe visual loss with characteristic macular atrophy followed by bone spicule pigmentation early in life, distinguishing RDH12-associated disease from other LCA forms 5. In vitro studies demonstrate that RDH12 mutations typically result in minimal or absent enzyme activity 1. Clinically, RDH12-associated retinal degeneration presents with severe blinding disorder in early childhood, though some patients retain reduced useful vision into adolescence 5. Gene therapy and small molecule therapeutics targeting RDH12 are emerging therapeutic approaches for this currently untreatable condition 1.