Retinal ganglion cells and supporting elements in culture

Elucidating the pathophysiology of glaucoma has traditionally relied on animal models of intraocular hypertension and optic nerve injury, which are closely related to the human disease with respect to tissue damage. However, cell culture models of retinal neurons (particularly retinal ganglion cells) and supporting cells (particularly retinal glia and lamina cribrosa cells), although less closely related to glaucoma pathophysiology, have particular advantages in understanding intracellular processes associated with glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Examples of studies which are more readily achievable with cultured cells include: 1) Isolation and separation of purified cells to help define the role of classes of cell types; 2) Transfection of genetic material to over-express or knockdown specific genes; 3) Fluorescent imaging of calcium concentrations, reactive oxygen species concentrations, mitochondrial membrane potential, cellular pH, and other measures of cellular physiology.