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Foreword

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2009

Alan Bird
Affiliation:
Moorfields Eye Hospital, London
Evelyne Sernagor
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Stephen Eglen
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Bill Harris
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Rachel Wong
Affiliation:
Washington University, St Louis
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Summary

The editors have assembled an impressive authorship to produce this book on development of the retina. There are several reasons why this is timely. Over the last decade there have been rapid advances in our understanding of the mechanisms involved in formation of the eye and determination of the fate of cells. This has been driven by an explosion of laboratory techniques that have allowed the study of gene expression and characterization of cell and tissue behaviour.

As a consequence there is increasing knowledge of what determines cell function, and of the behavioural relationship between cells. This has resulted in an understanding of genetically determined disease in humans. Many genes' products have been identified during development because they are highly expressed and mutations in these genes have been identified as being responsible for developmental abnormalities in man. Some of these genes express at low levels in adult life fulfilling a house-keeping function, and mutations in these have also been identified as giving rise to progressive retinal degeneration.

Findings from studies of development are of crucial importance to the current attempts to devise biological treatment of retinal diseases. There is ample evidence that growth factors delay cell death due to apoptosis in genetically determined retinal dystrophies in animals, and therapeutic trials in man have been initiated. There is still some doubt as to which agent may be the most appropriate to achieve suppression of apoptosis.

Type
Chapter
Information
Retinal Development , pp. xi - xii
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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  • Foreword
  • Edited by Evelyne Sernagor, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Stephen Eglen, University of Cambridge, Bill Harris, University of Cambridge, Rachel Wong, Washington University, St Louis
  • Book: Retinal Development
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541629.001
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Save book to Dropbox

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  • Foreword
  • Edited by Evelyne Sernagor, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Stephen Eglen, University of Cambridge, Bill Harris, University of Cambridge, Rachel Wong, Washington University, St Louis
  • Book: Retinal Development
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541629.001
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Foreword
  • Edited by Evelyne Sernagor, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Stephen Eglen, University of Cambridge, Bill Harris, University of Cambridge, Rachel Wong, Washington University, St Louis
  • Book: Retinal Development
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541629.001
Available formats
×