Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2011 Dec;21(6):942-6. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.06.001. Epub 2011 Jun 25.
Retinitis pigmentosa is a hereditary eye disease that affects photoreceptors and leads to blindness. The discovery of a microbial light-gated channel and the subsequent development of similar 'optogenetic' sensors have opened the door to creating artificial photoreceptors in the remaining retinal circuits of retinitis pigmentosa retinas via gene therapy. Here we review recent studies in animal models of retinitis pigmentosa that have combined knowledge of retinal cell types, circuits and computations with the ability to equip cell types with optogenetic sensors in order to restore visual activity. We also discuss the translational potential of this therapy.
色素性视网膜炎是一种遗传性眼病，会影响光感受器，导致失明。微生物光门控通道的发现，以及类似的“光遗传学”传感器的后续开发，为通过基因治疗在色素性视网膜炎视网膜的剩余视网膜电路中创建人工光感受器打开了大门。在这里，我们回顾了色素性视网膜炎动物模型的最新研究，这些研究结合了视网膜细胞类型、回路和计算的知识，以及为细胞类型配备光遗传学传感器以恢复视觉活动的能力。我们还讨论了这种治疗方法的转化潜力。
