New research from the National Eye Institute (NEI) on how rod photoreceptors developed may eventually lead to helping restore vision in people with retinal cell diseases.
Vision scientists from the NEI tested a theory on how rods developed in the eye, giving rise to nocturnal mammals. They found that a protein called Nrl could be used to coax cone cells into rod cells in mice within a few days of birth. They then looked at genomic sequences in a number of vertebrates, finding the first expression of Nrl seemed to occur around the same time rods became dominant in the retina.
Researchers hope their findings may help with current efforts to regenerate retinal cells in patients with retinal cell degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.
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Source: National Eye Institute