Regenerating Neurons in Eyes
Posted on December 6, 2008 Comments (0)
In degenerative disorders like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, outer-layer cells, called photoreceptors, break down in the early stages of disease, leading to loss of vision. Extensive research has focused on replacing these cells, in an effort to restore sight. In people with advanced disease or blindness, however, the inner cell layers may also break down or become disorganized and need to be rebuilt, says Rose.
“The outer retina is like the CPU, and the inner retina is like the motherboard,” he says. “If I attach a new CPU to a dead motherboard, it won’t do any good, no matter how great a CPU it is.”
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In lower vertebrates like fish and chickens, retinal cells are known to generate new neurons in response to damage, often restoring sight. While mammals do not have the same self-healing capacity, some previous research has suggested that under particular circumstances, mammals’ retinas might be able to generate new neurons.
Related: A Journey Into the Human Eye – How Brain Resolves Sight – The Subtly Different Squid Eye – 3-D Images of Eyes
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