Researchers from Northwestern University have discovered a highly light sensitive retinal cell they believe may cause myopia when it dysfunctions.
According to researchers, the newly-found retinal cell — named "ON Delayed" — controls how the eye grows and develops. If the cell tells the eye to grow too long, images fail to focus on the retina causing nearsighted vision. And because "ON Delayed" is so sensitive to light, researchers believe if it dysfunctions, it may be linked to the amount of time a child spends indoors and away from natural light.
The scientists believe their discovery may lead to a new therapeutic target to control myopia. Next, they reportedly plan to find a gene specific to this cell.
The study was recently published online in the journal Current Biology.
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Source: Northwestern University