The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is located between the neuroretina and the outer blood supply in the eye and plays a critical role in vision by looking after the photoreceptors. Scientists currently do not fully understand the causes of damage to RPE cells that leads to sight loss. In a new study, led by scientists at the University of Southampton, a newly developed imaging technique has been used to fully reconstruct cells from the retina and could provide new insights into the causes of irreversible blinding diseases.
As described in the published findings in the International Journal of Molecular Science, a technique called serial block face scanning electron microscopy is used to produce a digital reconstruction of eye tissues from the outer retina at very high resolution. The process involves a state of the art microscope capturing digital images of hundreds of serial layers of a mouse retina. Key regions of interest (such as the cell body and the nucleus) in each scanned layer are then drawn before an advanced software renders the images into a full 3D reconstruction. As a result, the reconstructions can provide a clear picture of the 3D organization of the RPE in a healthy eye, which will be a crucial reference point for scientists to look at how RPE cells change with age and in diseased eyes.
“We now understand the technical process required to produce such high resolution 3D reconstructions of retinal tissues which is an exciting foundation to carry out further studies into deteriorating cells in the eye. The use of artificial intelligence software will make this process faster in the future,” said Dr. Arjuna Ratnayaka, principal investigator and lecturer in Vision Sciences at the University of Southampton.
“Our team was made up of experts in cell biology, imaging, computer science as well as ophthalmologists and shows that advances in modern research requires bringing a broad range of skills together.”
The researchers now hope that further understanding of RPE deterioration can come from using the technique to study mouse models of retinal degeneration as well as well‐preserved healthy and diseased human donor eye tissues. The study was funded by the UK Macular Society.
Full news release from the University of Southampton.
Source: University of Southampton