Fletcher Erica L, Downie Laura E, Ly Alice, Ward Michelle M, Batcha Abrez H, Puthussery Theresa, Yee Peter, Hatzopoulos Kate M
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Clin Exp Optom. 2008 Jan;91(1):67-77. doi: 10.1111/j.1444-0938.2007.00204.x.
Retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity are major causes of visual loss. Although the focus of a great deal of research has been on the aetiology of vascular growth, it is now emerging that anomalies in other retinal cell types, especially glial cells, occur very early in the course of the disease. Glial cells have major roles in every stage of disease, from the earliest subtle variations in neural function, to the development of epi-retinal membranes and tractional detachment. Therefore, having a firm understanding of the function of retinal glia is important in our understanding of retinal disease and is crucial for the development of new treatment strategies.
糖尿病性视网膜病变和早产儿视网膜病变等视网膜血管疾病是视力丧失的主要原因。尽管大量研究的重点一直是血管生长的病因，但现在有新情况表明，在疾病过程的早期，其他视网膜细胞类型，尤其是神经胶质细胞，会出现异常。从神经功能最早的细微变化，到视网膜前膜的形成和牵拉性视网膜脱离，神经胶质细胞在疾病的每个阶段都发挥着重要作用。因此，深入了解视网膜神经胶质细胞的功能对于我们理解视网膜疾病至关重要，并且对新治疗策略的开发也至关重要。
