Mechanisms of Photoreceptor Death During Retinal Degeneration

The development of treatments that slow photoreceptor death could profoundly improve patient wellbeing in those with inherited retinal degenerations. Over recent years, it has emerged that extracellular adenosine-tri-phosphate (ATP) regulates the function of photoreceptors in rodents and primates. Moreover, when the retina is exposed to high levels of ATP, rapid death of photoreceptors occurs, which can be blocked by pretreatment with antagonists to P2X receptors. Compounds that inhibit the action of extracellular ATP slow photoreceptor loss in an animal model of inherited retinal degeneration. In this article, I provide an overview of our work in relation to other research in this area and suggest a model by which ATP contributes to photoreceptor death in inherited retinal degenerations. (Optom Vis Sci 2010;87:269-275)