Functional Availability of ON-Bipolar Cells in the Degenerated Retina: Timing and Longevity of an Optogenetic Gene Therapy.

ABSTRACT: Degenerative diseases of the retina are responsible for the death of photoreceptors and subsequent loss of vision in patients. Nevertheless, the inner retinal layers remain intact over an extended period of time, enabling the restoration of light sensitivity in blind retinas via the expression of optogenetic tools in the remaining retinal cells. The chimeric Opto-mGluR6 protein represents such a tool. With exclusive ON-bipolar cell expression, it combines the light-sensitive domains of melanopsin and the intracellular domains of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 (mGluR6), which naturally mediates light responses in these cells. Albeit vision restoration in blind mice by Opto-mGluR6 delivery was previously shown, much is left to be explored in regard to the effects of the timing of the

SUBMITTER: Kralik J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8584043 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature