Guiding Lights in Genome Editing for Inherited Retinal Disorders: Implications for Gene and Cell Therapy

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the retina and the retinal cell layers. The retina is a layered structure lining the back of the eye consisting of a pigmented layer, the RPE, and a multilayered neuroretina. The RPE is in close contact with the outer segments of the photosensitive rod and cone cells of the neuroretina. The connecting cilium connects the photoreceptor outer segments with the cell bodies, which constitute a layer known as the outer nuclear layer (ONL). The axons of the photoreceptors synapse with the neuronal (bipolar, amacrine, and horizontal) cells of the inner nuclear layer (INL) via the outer plexiform layer (OPL). The axons of the INL cells in turn synapse with the ganglion cell layer (GCL) via the inner plexiform layer (IPL). The axons of the ganglion cells converge to form the optic nerve.