Abstract
Presentation Description :
We recently demonstrated that photoreceptor light signals can be revived in the human macula from donor eyes enucleated up to 5 hours after death. On the other hand, recovery of synchronous transmission of the photoreceptor signals was only possible from the eyes enucleated within ~30-mins from death. Our new studies focus on establishing conditions for long-term maintenance of intact light signaling in the human retina, and comparing physiological properties of photoreceptors in the central and peripheral retina between eyes from healthy controls and Age-Related Macular Degeneration patients. To facilitate these goals, we built an ex vivo fundus/OCT imaging instrument that can be used to diagnose retinal disease and obtain samples precisely from specific locations of the retina (e.g. fovea or diseased area) under infrared illumination. Our new data indicates that intact transmission of photoreceptor light signals can be restored even from the eyes enucleated ~1-h after death following >12-h incubation of the eyecups. These signals can be maintained for at least ~36 hours. We have also determined dominant and non-dominant time constants of the human phototransduction and how they are modulated by background light. Finally, our preliminary data indicates that the cone-specific, RPE-independent, dark adaptation is slower in the maculae from AMD patients as compared to that in age-matched control eyes.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.