Researchers have described ways to get a snapshot of all the genetic material that a single retina cell uses to make proteins, revealing the health of that eye cell.
Using a mouse model, scientists looked at the rod cells in the retina, which function in low light. They used two different methods to evaluate the genetic material, one of which detected more genes in the cell but cost significantly more.
Continued refinement of these techniques may result in a simple, cost-effective way for researchers to look at the health of individual eye cells in a person with retinal disease. Revealing how young cells are different from old cells or how healthy cells are different from diseased cells could provide the foundation for more effective eye treatments. The study was presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).
