Transcriptional barcoding of retinal cells identifies disease target cells

Transcriptional barcoding of retinal cells identifies disease target cells. By developing a large scale gene expression map for retinal cell types, FMI Neurobiologists have been able to identify the cells in the retina, where the genes causing retinal diseases specifically act. This narrows down the search for a better understanding of the diseases and opens up new avenues for therapeutic approaches. Most retinal diseases lead to low vision or blindness. While some of them occur spontaneously, others like retinitis pigmentosa are inherited. To date, more than 20 different retinal diseases have been identified. What almost all of them share is a daunting lack of treatment.