title: Leveraging Optogenetic-Based Neurovascular Circuit Characterization for Repair.
abstract: Optogenetic techniques are a powerful tool for determining the role of individual functional components within complex neural circuits. By genetically targeting specific cell types, neural mechanisms can be actively manipulated to gain a better understanding of their origin and function, both in health and disease. The potential of optogenetics is not limited to answering biological questions, as it is also a promising therapeutic approach for neurological diseases. An important prerequisite for this approach is to have an identified target with a uniquely defined role within a given neural circuit. Here, we examine the retinal neurovascular unit, a circuit that incorporates neurons and vascular cells to control blood flow in the retina. We highlight the role of a specific cell type, the cholinergic amacrine cell, in modulating vascular cells, and demonstrate how this can be targeted and controlled with optogenetics. A better understanding of these mechanisms will not only extend our understanding of neurovascular interactions in the brain, but ultimately may also provide new targets to treat vision loss in a variety of retinal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA. bos2005@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Botir T
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0611-1479
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Sagdullaev
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D062308:Optogenetics / Q000379:methods
keywords: Acetylcholine; Amacrine cell; Neurovascular unit; Optogenetics; Pericyte