Towards maximising information extraction from rodent models of ocular disease

Loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) has a central role in retinal disorders including glaucoma, which result in progressive vision loss over time. The global glaucoma prevalence is currently estimated to be 3.54% of the population aged between 40 and 80 years. 1 Currently, raised intraocular pressure (IOP) presents the only modifiable risk factor. However, some glaucoma patients continue to lose vision despite having well controlled IOPs. 2 This has led to a search for alternative strategies to promote RGC preservation. 3 Experimental glaucoma models and whole-retinal mounts have proven a useful ex vivo tool for the assessment of potential new treatments using well-established protocols for labelling RGCs, including using nuclear-restricted transcription factor brain-specific homeobox/POU domain protein 3A (Brn-3A).