Retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) constitute a simple layer of cuboidal cells that are
strategically situated behind the photoreceptor (PR) cells. The inconspicuousness of this …

For decades, rods and cones were thought to be the only photoreceptors in the mammalian
retina. However, a population of atypical photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) …

Life on earth is subject to alternating cycles of day and night imposed by the rotation of the
earth. Consequently, living things have evolved photodetective systems to synchronize their …

Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that occurs in various chemical forms. It is
essential for several physiological processes. Either hyper-or hypovitaminosis can be …

In daylight, demand for visual chromophore (11-cis-retinal) exceeds supply by the classical
visual cycle. This shortfall is compensated, in part, by the retinal G-protein-coupled receptor …

Cone photoreceptors mediate our daytime vision and function under bright and rapidly-
changing light conditions. As their visual pigment is destroyed in the process of …

Blindness, although not life threatening, is a debilitating disorder for which few, if any
treatments exist. Ocular gene therapies have the potential to profoundly improve the quality …

Death is defined as the irreversible cessation of circulatory, respiratory or brain activity.
Many peripheral human organs can be transplanted from deceased donors using protocols …

Photoreceptor degeneration is one of the most prevalent causes of blindness. Despite
photoreceptor loss, the inner retina and central visual pathways remain intact over an …

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a rare hereditary retinal degeneration caused by
mutations in more than a dozen genes. RPE65, one of these mutated genes, is highly …