LAUSR

L ate s ta g e b l i n d n e s s a n d v i s u a l impairment (BVI) affects over 400 mi l l ion adu l t s wor ldwide . These disabilities severely impact the ability of adults to function independently, reduce their quality of life, and worsen socio-economic burdens on health care systems. Importantly, the World Health Organization projects worldwide BVI from degenerated retina to more than double by the year 2050 (Bourne et al., 2021). To understand the clinical problem, consider Figure 1A depicting the retina’s seven neuronal cell types that interconnect across three nuclear layers. Retinal photoreceptors of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) are light sensitive neurons that absorb and convert photons into bioelectrical signals. Photoreceptors synapse with neurons in the inner nuclear layer, which in turn synapse with neurons of the retinal ganglion layer to transduce photonic signals through the optic nerve to the brain. Degeneration or dysfunction in any of these neuronal components can disrupt the visual circuity and result in BVI.