Retinal Pigment Epithelium Remodeling in Mouse Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

ABSTRACT: In retinitis pigmentosa (RP), one of many possible genetic mutations causes rod degeneration, followed by cone secondary death leading to blindness. Accumulating evidence indicates that rod death triggers multiple, non-cell-autonomous processes, which include oxidative stress and inflammation/immune responses, all contributing to cone demise. Inflammation relies on local microglia and recruitment of immune cells, reaching the retina through breakdowns of the inner blood retinal barrier (iBRB). Leakage in the inner retina vasculature suggests similarly altered outer BRB, formed by junctions between retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which are crucial for retinal homeostasis, immune response, and privilege. We investigated the RPE structural integrity in three models of RP (rd9, rd10, a

SUBMITTER: Napoli D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8161377 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature