Algorithms looking for patterns of cell loss in glaucoma models

Abstract

SummaryWhole‐retinal mounts have proven an invaluable tool for the assessment of retinal health in rodent models of disease with well‐established protocols for labelling of a variety of retinal cell populations including Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs). Loss of RGCs is thought to play a central role in many ocular disorders such as glaucoma, and RGC preservation is an established therapeutic endpoint. Nevertheless, a limitation of this approach is the high variability in RGC density between central and peripheral rodent retina, which can complicate RGC quantification by sampling. Whilst automated whole‐retinal measures of RGC density have added scientific rigour to the quantification of RGC populations, this technique still discards a lot of useful information. This talk outlines recent developments in the extraction of additional information from retinal whole‐mounts and reviews future directions for this technique in developing our understanding of disease pathology.