Red Eye

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the main causes of childhood blindness in the developed world. In ROP the retina – the layer at the back of the eye which contains light-sensing cells – doesn’t develop enough blood vessels to supply the cells with oxygen. Several genes, such as Fzd4, were thought to be involved, but factors like premature birth increase the risk. Researchers recently proved that malfunctioning Fzd4 is linked to ROP – retinal blood vessels grow more slowly in mice with less Fzd4. After being placed in reduced oxygen – which mimics ROP by reducing the number of blood vessels in the eye – mice with less Fzd4 regrew the blood vessels much more slowly than normal mice. The image shows blood vessels in the retina of a normal mouse, after recovering from low oxygen. Importantly, Fzd4 is thought to be involved in other eye conditions too.

Written by Esther Redhouse White

Esther Redhouse White

Writer

A recent Biochemistry graduate from York, Esther has worked on bacterial killing proteins and genetic switches in worms. In her spare time she likes visiting museums full of skeletons.

• Image from work by Michael H. Ngo and Joanna Borowska-Fielding, and colleagues
• Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada,
• Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Published in PLOS ONE, August 2016