A New Way Of Understanding The Eye Can Help Prevent Eye Problems

A new study performed by researchers from The Scripps Research Institute, or TRSI, shows that neurons in the eye communicate with each other to support proper blood flow and help prevent eye disease. The study published on April 28 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that new ways of understanding the eye can help with the treatment of eye disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, two of the top leading causes for loss of vision among adults.

Lead study author Martin Friedlander of TRSI said that the neurons in the eye seem to produce a certain chemical needed to sustain its blood vessels as well as support the function of photoreceptors, which are biologically important for maintaining sight. Light passes through the retina before reaching the photoreceptors. “The retina has a very sophisticated architecture,” said Friedlander in a News Medical report. He said that if there is a form of swelling within, or an extra fluid, light cannot pass through properly, resulting in visual impairment.

With low oxygen supply to the blood vessels in the retina, the release of a chemical called vascular endothelial growth receptor, or VEGF, is triggered, producing the growth of new blood vessels, transporting more oxygen to the area.

The new study focused on neurons called amacrine and horizontal cells that play an important role in adjusting electric signals transmitted from the photoreceptors to the brain. The researchers took interest in these cells because they appear to have wrapped themselves around the intermediate layer’s blood vessels.

To find out if these neurons have an effect on how the blood vessels behave, the scientists “knocked out” VEGF production in amacrine and horizontal cells in unborn mice. The study found that the mice didn’t develop normal blood vessels along the intermediate layer, which led to photoreceptor degeneration and consequently severe vision impairment.

Further experiments also added evidence that VEGF from the neurons can make a difference in the growth of retinal blood vessels. The study has confirmed that blood vessels and neurons found in the intermediate layer communicate for normal growth of the blood vessels. According to researchers, the study may also have important implications on treating brain diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS, since the retina serves as an immediate extension of the brain.

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