Advances of optogenetics in the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa
Yi Zhang, Xi Huang, Junjun Zhang
Published 2018-11-25
Cite as Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2018, 34(6): 601-604. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1005-1015.2018.06.018
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a disease that seriously affects vision. It mainly affects rod cells and causes night blindness. At the end of the disease, due to the simultaneous involvement of cone cells, the patient’s central vision and peripheral vision loss are not effective. There is no effective treatment method. However, some studies have found that although the function of photoreceptors is lost in the pathological process of RP, the function of bipolar cells and ganglion cells and the neural connection with the visual center are preserved, which provides a condition of therapeutic application in optogenetics for optogenetics. Optogenetics controls the excitability of neurons by expressing the light-sensitive protein represented by rhodopsin ion channel protein-2 on neurons, and has shown great application prospects in reshaping the photoreceptor function of the retina. The treatment of a type of retinal degenerative disease provides an effective treatment option.
Key words:
Retinitis pigmentosa/therapy; Optogenetics; Review
Contributor Information
Yi Zhang
Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Xi Huang
Junjun Zhang