Scientists at UCLA have discovered that retinal cells can rewire themselves to maintain vision when faced with the degeneration caused by retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease. This finding offers hope for new treatments to preserve sight in individuals affected by this condition.
The research, published in *Current Biology* in 2025 by the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, focuses on rod bipolar cells, which typically receive signals from rod photoreceptors responsible for night vision. The study revealed that these cells can form new connections with cone photoreceptors, which provide daytime vision, when their usual partners cease functioning.
Retinitis pigmentosa is a leading cause of inherited blindness globally. Understanding how the retina adapts to cell loss could reveal new targets for treatments. The researchers used rhodopsin knockout mice, which model early retinitis pigmentosa, to study this rewiring process.
The scientists made electrical recordings from individual rod bipolar cells. They observed the behavior of these cells when their normal input was lost. They found that rod bipolar cells in mice lacking functional rods showed responses driven by cone cells. This rewiring was triggered by the degeneration process itself.
"Our findings show that the retina adapts to the loss of rods in ways that attempt to preserve daytime light sensitivity in the retina," said Dr. A.P. Sampath, the senior author of the study. This discovery highlights the retina's remarkable ability to adapt to degenerative processes. It may guide future therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving vision in individuals with inherited retinal diseases.