DARC: A new method for detecting progressive neuronal death

Abstract

Visual field evaluations are currently used as the gold standard in assessing disease progression in glaucoma, but this method considers damage that has irreversibly occurred. If retinal ganglion cell (RGC) apoptosis can be detected, it may be possible to prevent loss of vision, and also to act at a much earlier stage to avoid the secondary degeneration of neurons and progression of the disease. Detection of apoptosing retinal cells (DARC) is a method that uses advanced optical techniques to image and track the process of RGCs in vivoover time. It has the potential to help elucidate the cellular mechanisms involved in the development of RGC degeneration and vision loss in glaucoma. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.