Retinal Cell Map

Researchers at the National  Eye Institute of have identified distinct differences among the cells comprising a tissue in the retina that is vital to human visual perception. The scientists discovered five subpopulations of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) — a layer of tissue that nourishes and supports the retina’s light-sensing photoreceptors. Using artificial intelligence, the researchers analyzed images of RPE at single-cell resolution to create a reference map or “Retinal Cell Map” that locates each subpopulation within the eye.

“These results provide a first-of-its-kind framework for understanding different RPE cell subpopulations and their vulnerability to retinal diseases, and for developing targeted therapies to treat them,”

said Michael F. Chiang, M.D., director of the NEI, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Discoveries like the retinal cell map or mapping the RPE may lead to new and better diagnosis and treatments for eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma or blindness just to name a few.

Read the full story here:

ScienceDaily.com

Remember to get your eyes checked annually to help prevent disease and have the best chance of early detection for the diseases that cause vision loss and blindness.

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Sources: Science Daily

Image by Konstantin Kolosov from Pixabay