Research Applications for Striatech Products

Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration

Gene therapy, optogenetics, and regenerative strategies for vision restoration. Each requires non-invasive, quantitative functional readouts to confirm that a treated eye actually sees better.
Introduction

What is Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration?

Gene therapy, optogenetics, and regeneration represent the three major biological strategies currently being translated from preclinical research into clinical vision restoration. Each addresses a different stage or mechanism of vision loss, and each requires a different experimental validation framework – yet all three converge on a shared fundamental requirement: a non-invasive, quantitative, in vivo functional readout that can confirm whether the intervention has produced a behaviourally meaningful improvement in visual performance in the treated animal. Gene therapy for the visual system encompasses mutation-specific gene replacement (for example, AAV-mediated delivery of RPE65 for Leber congenital amaurosis), gene silencing strategies targeting dominant gain-of-function mutations, and metabolic support approaches that restore cellular function independently of gene correction (for example, RPE-targeted MCT2 overexpression for metabolic rescue of the photoreceptor-RPE interface). These strategies are currently the most clinically advanced, with multiple approved gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases and dozens of active clinical trials (Chandler et al, 2025, PNAS)(Presa et al, 2025, Commun Med). At the preclinical level, OptoDrum-based visual acuity measurement provides the functional endpoint that links vector transduction efficiency and transgene expression to a behaviourally confirmed therapeutic benefit. Optogenetics addresses a distinct therapeutic window: patients whose photoreceptors have been irreversibly lost but whose inner retinal neurons survive. By introducing light-sensitive opsins into surviving retinal neurons – most commonly bipolar cells or residual cone cell bodies – optogenetics restores a light-responsive signal to the visual pathway even in the absence of any functional photoreceptors (van Wyk et al, 2023, Nat Commun)(Kralik et al, 2022, Commun Biol)(Hulliger et al, 2020, Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev). The quality and behavioural relevance of this restored vision – its spatial acuity, its luminance sensitivity, and its ability to support learned visual discriminations – must be validated in rodent models before clinical translation, and the OptoDrum and AcuiSee together provide the functional endpoint toolkit for this validation. Regeneration encompasses strategies aimed at restoring RGC connectivity after optic nerve injury or glaucomatous degeneration: axon regeneration, epigenetic reprogramming of RGCs via OSK gene therapy, neuromodulatory circuit repair, and neuroprotective cell survival approaches. Unlike retinal photoreceptor-targeted therapies, regeneration strategies must demonstrate not only cell survival but restoration of axon connectivity to downstream visual targets and recovery of a functional behavioural visual response (Varadarajan et al, 2023, Cell Rep)(Karg et al, 2023, Cell Reprogram). This page covers Striatech's functional measurement tools in the context of all three therapeutic strategies. The disease contexts that motivate these therapies – Inherited Retinal Dystrophies, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Optic Nerve Injury (See: CNS Trauma and Acute Injury: TBI, Optic Nerve Injury, Stroke) – are covered in depth on the corresponding disease-area application pages. This page focuses specifically on the functional measurement approaches that validate whether a therapeutic strategy has achieved its goal of maintaining or restoring meaningful vision.
Vision: A Window into the brain 

Why Are Visual Endpoints Relevant in Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration Research?

The central translational challenge in gene therapy, optogenetics, and regeneration research is the gap between molecular and cellular success and functional recovery. A gene therapy that achieves efficient transduction, a vector that expresses the target opsin at high levels, and a regeneration approach that demonstrably increases RGC axon counts all represent important steps forward – but none of them alone constitutes evidence that the treated animal can actually see better. The retinal and CNS visual pathway is sufficiently complex that cellular-level improvements regularly fail to translate into measurable behavioural vision, and the history of preclinical visual neuroscience is replete with structural rescue studies that were not accompanied by functional validation. Behavioural endpoints address this gap directly. The OptoDrum measures the optomotor reflex (OMR), a subcortical reflex mediated by the accessory optic system, which is activated only when the retina, optic nerve, and retinorecipient brainstem nuclei are sufficiently functional to generate a tracking response to a moving grating. A measurable improvement in OMR-based visual acuity after a gene therapy or regeneration intervention therefore confirms not just that cells have been protected or restored, but that the protected or restored cells are contributing to a functional visual circuit. AcuiSee adds a complementary cortical layer: its operant conditioning paradigm requires the animal to make a learned visual discrimination that depends on cortical visual processing, confirming that the visual signal is reaching and being processed by the visual cortex – the endpoint most directly analogous to human visual acuity testing and the most relevant for translational claims about quality of vision restoration. Together, these tools provide preclinical researchers with the functional validation framework that regulatory agencies, clinical trial sponsors, and peer reviewers increasingly require as a prerequisite for translational claims.
Animal Models

What Are Common Animal Models For Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration?

  • rd1 and rd10 mice (Pde6b mutation): The most widely used mouse models for retinitis pigmentosa research and optogenetics. rd1 mice lose rod photoreceptors by postnatal day 21, progressing to near-complete photoreceptor loss by six weeks. rd10 mice have a slower, more clinically faithful degeneration time course peaking around postnatal weeks 4–5, providing a broader therapeutic intervention window. Both models are used extensively for optogenetic bipolar cell targeting studies (Kralik et al, 2022)(Hulliger et al, 2020) and photoreceptor gene therapy (Brunet et al, 2026). Visual function loss is quantifiable by OptoDrum.
  • rho-/- (rhodopsin knockout) and other RP models: Loss-of-function rhodopsin mutations produce rod-dominant degeneration with a defined time course and residual cone survival suitable for gene therapy and optogenetic rescue studies. The ScotopicKit specifically extends OptoDrum capability to assess rod-specific functional rescue in these models (Brunet et al, 2026).
  • RPE65-deficient models (including rpe65-/- and Briard dog): Canonical gene therapy models whose correction with AAV-RPE65 provided the first proof-of-concept for human gene therapy clinical trials. Visual acuity measured by OptoDrum is the primary functional endpoint for RPE65 correction studies in rodent models.
  • Sodium iodate (NaIO3) RPE ablation model: Chemical ablation of the RPE with intravenous sodium iodate produces rapid, reproducible outer retinal degeneration modelling the RPE dysfunction of AMD. Carido et al (2014) established the functional characterisation of this model using OptoDrum (Carido et al, 2014), providing the baseline against which RPE cell transplantation and protective gene therapy studies are evaluated. For a broader treatment of this model in the toxicology context, see the Ocular and CNS Toxicity Models application page.
  • Optic nerve crush (ONC) model: The reference model for RGC axon degeneration and regeneration research. ONC delivers a calibrated, reproducible crush to the optic nerve posterior to the eye, inducing axon degeneration and near-complete RGC loss within 14–21 days. OptoDrum tracks the rapid functional vision loss post-crush and any recovery produced by neuroprotective, regeneration-promoting, or circuit-repair interventions (Varadarajan et al, 2023)(Zhang et al, 2024). For comprehensive coverage of the ONC model and its neuroprotection and regeneration applications, see the Trauma and Acute Injury application page.
  • Glaucoma models (DBA/2J, microbead-induced IOP elevation, hereditary glaucoma models): Models of chronic optic nerve degeneration driven by elevated intraocular pressure, directly relevant to OSK epigenetic reprogramming gene therapy and neuroprotective strategies targeting RGC survival in the context of sustained pressure- related injury (Karg et al, 2023). For the full glaucoma model landscape, see the Glaucoma and Optic Nerve Neurodegeneration application page.
  • Aged mouse models for epigenetic reprogramming: Naturally aged mice (18–24 months) exhibit age-related visual acuity decline driven by RGC loss and reduced optic nerve axon conduction. These animals serve as the model platform for OSK reprogramming and other gene therapy strategies targeting age-related visual decline, with OptoDrum providing the longitudinal functional endpoint across the extended treatment period (Karg et al, 2023). For the aging context, see the Systemic Aging and CNS Decline application page.
  • Human photoreceptor xenograft models: Immunodeficient rodents receiving human-derived cone photoreceptor transplants, enabling evaluation of human cell integration and functional recovery under the immunological permissiveness required for xenograft studies (Procyk et al, 2025). OptoDrum measures whether human cones drive a rodent optomotor response, providing the cross-species functional validation of transplant integration.
Research Questions

How Can Striatech Tools support Your Study?

Select a question that matches your research objective to see which instruments are relevant, what challenge they address, and what the published evidence shows.
01
How Can I Measure Functional Vision Recovery After AAV Gene Therapy in Retinal Dystrophy and RPE Disease Models?
Audience A - Vision-focused

Quick Answer

OptoDrum provides the non-invasive, longitudinally repeatable in vivo functional endpoint that links AAV vector transduction, transgene expression, and cellular rescue to a behaviourally confirmed improvement in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Multiple published studies using Striatech instruments have validated this approach across RPE-targeted metabolic gene therapy (Chandler et al, 2025), clinical-grade vector characterisation (Presa et al, 2025), and neuroprotective gene therapy in rare disease models. For studies aimed at understanding whether restored visual acuity reaches and is processed by the visual cortex – a key claim in regulatory and clinical contexts – AcuiSee provides the cortically validated complement to the subcortical OptoDrum readout.

The challenge

AAV gene therapy for inherited retinal diseases is now a clinical reality, yet the preclinical functional endpoint landscape remains heterogeneous. Electroretinography (ERG) is the dominant preclinical readout in the gene therapy field, providing electrophysiological evidence of outer retinal rescue that maps onto clinical endpoint measures such as full-field stimulus testing (FST). However, ERG requires anaesthesia, specialised equipment, and electrophysiology expertise, limiting its practicality as a high-frequency longitudinal monitoring tool. It also provides a mass electrical response that reflects photoreceptor and inner nuclear layer function but does not directly confirm whether the treated animal can make use of the rescued visual signal for any behavioural purpose.

For researchers developing gene therapies aimed at preserving or restoring functional vision rather than simply protecting photoreceptors as structural units, OptoDrum provides a critical complementary endpoint: the optomotor reflex confirms that the rescued photoreceptors are driving the downstream retina-to-brainstem projection with sufficient fidelity to generate a tracking response. Presa et al (2025) demonstrated this specifically in the translational context of a clinical-grade AAV vector, where OptoDrum visual acuity served as the functional endpoint confirming that the clinical manufacturing process preserved therapeutic efficacy compared with research-grade preparations (Presa et al, 2025, Commun Med). Chandler et al (2025) used OptoDrum to validate an RPE-targeted metabolic gene therapy strategy, confirming that restoring MCT2-mediated lactate transport in the RPE translates to preserved photoreceptor function measurable at the behavioural level (Chandler et al, 2025, PNAS).

An important consideration for gene therapy research is the distinction between preserving residual vision and restoring lost vision. Preservation studies require early treatment and longitudinal tracking to confirm that treated animals maintain visual acuity above the degeneration trajectory, while restoration studies require detecting acuity gains above a severely depleted baseline. OptoDrum handles both designs: its automated threshold-seeking algorithm is sensitive to sub-threshold performance that standard fixed-frequency testing would miss, making it particularly well suited to detecting small but meaningful improvements above the near-blind floor. For the clinical disease contexts motivating RPE gene therapy, see the Retinal Degeneration and Inherited Retinal Disease application page and the Gene Therapy cluster page. For rare inherited conditions where gene therapy is a priority, see the Rare and Inherited CNS and Eye Disorders application page and the Rare Disease cluster page. For the retinal dystrophy disease context, see the Retinal Dystrophy cluster page.

How Striatech products help

OptoDrum

Measures photopic visual acuity (cycles per degree) and contrast sensitivity via the optomotor reflex in awake, freely moving rodents. Serves as the primary in vivo functional endpoint for gene therapy studies, confirming that vector transduction and transgene expression translate to a behaviourally meaningful preservation or restoration of visual performance. Non-invasive, fully automated, no anaesthesia or training required; approximately 4 minutes per animal. Longitudinally repeatable for tracking acuity across the full treatment period.

ScotopicKit

Extends OptoDrum testing to scotopic (rod-mediated) conditions in step-wise luminance reductions of 1 log unit. Essential when the gene therapy target is the rod photoreceptor or the rod-supporting RPE, and where photopic acuity may remain intact even as rod function declines. Provides the rod-specific functional readout that ERG’s scotopic a-wave captures electrophysiologically but in a non-invasive, anaesthesia-free format. Requires dark-adaptation protocol.

DarkAdapt

Light-tight, ventilated housing ensuring complete and consistent dark-adaptation prior to ScotopicKit testing. Essential for reproducible scotopic measurements across all longitudinal time points in a gene therapy study, particularly in long-duration trials where environmental variability in dark-adaptation would confound the functional readout.

AcuiSee

Measures visual acuity and contrast sensitivity via operant conditioning, a paradigm requiring cortical visual processing. In gene therapy studies where the translational claim involves restoration of functional vision at the cortical level – for example, confirming that the rescued retinal signal reaches and is usable by the visual cortex – AcuiSee provides the cortically validated complement to the subcortical OptoDrum endpoint. Because AcuiSee requires the animal to make a learned visual discrimination, a positive AcuiSee result confirms that the visual signal produced by the treated retina is sufficient for cortical pattern processing, directly paralleling the visual function tests used in human clinical trials. Requires a 10–14 day training phase before threshold testing.

Non-aversive Animal Platform

Minimises handling stress during OptoDrum testing in long-duration gene therapy trials. Relevant when repeat injection, subretinal surgery, or chronic disease debilitation makes animals more stress-sensitive over the study period, ensuring that between-group differences reflect genuine treatment effects rather than differential handling responses.

Evidence from the Literature

  • Kinuthia et al (2025) JCI Insight.
  • Chandler et al (2025) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
    Journal Club →
    Feature →

    AAV-mediated RPE-specific overexpression of MCT2 restores lactate transport to photoreceptors and preserves visual acuity above the untreated degeneration trajectory, with OptoDrum providing the primary in vivo functional endpoint.

  • Presa et al (2025) Commun Med (Lond).
    Journal Club →

    OptoDrum was used as the functional endpoint to confirm that a clinical-grade AAV preparation maintains efficacy comparable to its research-grade counterpart, directly addressing a key IND-enabling study requirement. This study is notable for its explicit focus on the translation between preclinical models and clinical manufacturing.

  • Maguire et al. (2008) N Engl J Med.

    This landmark clinical trial established AAV-RPE65 gene therapy as safe and effective for Leber congenital amaurosis, providing the translational context for the preclinical gene therapy studies above. The clinical endpoints used – full-field stimulus testing and visual acuity – directly correspond to the preclinical functional readouts provided by the OptoDrum and AcuiSee. A clinical visual acuity and FST battery was used. Striatech instruments provide the rodent preclinical equivalents of these endpoints.

02
Does Optogenetic Restoration of Light Sensitivity Translate to Behaviourally Measurable Vision?
Audience A - Vision-focused

Quick Answer

Yes – and OptoDrum provides the primary behavioural validation tool, while AcuiSee provides the higher-order cortical validation endpoint that is particularly relevant for optogenetic vision restoration. Multiple published studies using Striatech instruments confirm that optogenetic expression in bipolar cells and RGCs restores measurable optomotor acuity in blind mice (van Wyk et al, 2023) (Maddalena et al, 2023) (Kralik et al, 2022) (Hulliger et al, 2020), and that AAV dose is a critical determinant of whether the restored response is functionally sufficient (Lu et al, 2024). AcuiSee is uniquely appropriate for optogenetic studies because the operant discrimination task it uses provides direct evidence that optogenetically restored visual signals can be processed by the visual cortex and used to guide learned behaviour – the functional criterion most directly relevant to clinical vision restoration claims.

The challenge

Optogenetic vision restoration presents a specific validation challenge that differs from classical gene therapy. When a mutation-correcting gene therapy restores photoreceptor function, the biological question is whether the replaced gene product works as intended: ERG and optomotor testing together provide converging evidence that the restored photoreceptor function drives both electrophysiological and behavioural visual responses through the normal visual pathway. Optogenetics presents a more complex question: the restored light response is mediated by a non-mammalian opsin (channelrhodopsin, halorhodopsin, cnidopsin, or similar) with distinct spectral sensitivity, kinetics, and signal gain compared with native photoreceptors. Crucially, the signal generated by this opsin must propagate through whatever retinal circuitry survives in the degenerated retina, reach the brain via the optic nerve, and ultimately generate a visual percept that the animal can use behaviourally.

The OptoDrum addresses the first level of this challenge: does the optogenetically restored signal drive the subcortical optomotor reflex circuit? This is a well-defined and tractable question, and Striatech publications demonstrate convincingly that multiple optogenetic strategies produce positive OMR results in blind mice. However, the optomotor reflex is mediated by a fast, high-contrast subcortical circuit that may not reflect the quality of vision available for finer pattern discrimination or for learned visual tasks – the types of visual performance most relevant to clinical quality-of-life outcomes (Hulliger et al, 2020)(Kralik et al, 2022).

AcuiSee addresses the second and more demanding validation level: does the optogenetically restored visual signal reach the visual cortex with sufficient fidelity to support a learned visual discrimination? Because AcuiSee requires the animal to associate a specific visual pattern with a reward through a training process that depends on intact cortical visual processing, a positive AcuiSee result provides direct evidence that the optogenetic signal has been integrated into the cortical visual hierarchy. This is the closest preclinical analogue to the clinical visual acuity tests and letter-reading tasks used to assess vision quality in optogenetic therapy trials, making AcuiSee a particularly compelling translational endpoint for teams preparing IND applications or designing Phase I/II trial endpoints. For the dedicated cluster pages on the key optogenetics constructs and disease contexts, see the Optogenetics cluster page and the Blindness cluster page. For the retinal degeneration disease context, see the Retinal Degeneration and Inherited Retinal Disease application page.

How Striatech products help

OptoDrum

Provides the primary subcortical functional validation of optogenetic vision restoration: measures whether the optogenetically restored retinal signal drives the optomotor reflex circuit. Quantifies spatial visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in awake, freely moving animals without training or anaesthesia. Detects dose-dependent differences in optogenetic expression quality and distinguishes sub-threshold from therapeutically effective opsin expression levels (Lu et al, 2024).

AcuiSee

Provides the cortical validation endpoint for optogenetic vision restoration: confirms that the optogenetically restored visual signal reaches the visual cortex and can support a learned visual discrimination task. This is the most translationally relevant endpoint for optogenetic therapies, because it directly parallels the forced-choice visual discrimination tests used to evaluate vision quality in human clinical trials. A positive AcuiSee result – improvement in threshold grating acuity in a trained operant task – constitutes evidence that the optogenetically restored vision is cortically accessible and behaviourally usable. Requires 10–14 day training phase before threshold testing; particularly well-suited to studies comparing different opsins, targeting strategies, or expression levels where the goal is to rank-order their functional quality.

Non-aversive Animal Platform

Facilitates reliable OptoDrum testing in animals that may be post-surgical following intravitreal or subretinal injection of optogenetic vectors, or that may be handling- averse after repeated procedural interventions during vector titration studies.

Evidence from the Literature

  • Kinuthia et al (2025) JCI Insight.
  • van Wyk et al (2023) Nat. Commun.

    A novel cnidarian opsin with near-UV sensitivity was introduced as an optogenetic tool for vision restoration, using OptoDrum to confirm that cnidopsin expression in blind mice restores measurable optomotor acuity at near-UV stimulus wavelengths unavailable to mammalian photoreceptors. The study expands the optogenetic opsin toolkit and validates the OptoDrum paradigm for novel opsin characterisation.

  • Maddalena et al (2023) Front. Drug Deliv.

    CRISPR-targeted precision delivery of an optogenetic payload restores visual acuity in a degenerated retina model, with OptoDrum confirming the functional recovery.

  • Kralik et al (2022) Commun. Biol.

    Targeting optogenetic stimulation to bipolar cells – leveraging the preserved inner retinal circuitry – produces measurable OMR-based visual acuity in a degeneration model, and validated the targeting strategy as a clinically relevant approach by confirming functional performance in OptoDrum.

  • Hulliger et al (2020) Mol. Ther. Methods Clin. Dev.
    Journal Club →

    A bipolar cell-specific promoter enabling precise optogenetic transgene targeting was identified and validated, with OptoDrum confirming that the resulting cell-type-specific expression restores functional visual acuity in blind mice. The study provides both a molecular tool and its functional validation for precision-targeted optogenetics.

  • Lu et al (2024) Gene Ther
    Feature →

    The dose-response relationship between AAV titre and functional optogenetic visual restoration was established, measured by OptoDrum, demonstrating that there is a threshold AAV dose below which optomotor responses are not restored and above which significant visual acuity recovery is achieved.

03
How Do I Assess the Functional Outcome of Photoreceptor Transplantation and Cell-Based Vision Restoration?
Audience A - Vision-focused

Quick Answer

OptoDrum provides the non-invasive, in vivo functional endpoint confirming whether transplanted photoreceptors have not only survived but integrated into the host visual circuit sufficiently to improve optomotor-measured visual acuity. Procyk et al (2025) demonstrated this for human cone photoreceptor transplantation into a degenerated rodent retina, establishing that optomotor responses can serve as cross-species functional evidence of transplant integration. For studies targeting the AMD-relevant RPE-ablation model, the functional baseline established by Carido et al (2014) provides the reference trajectory against which any cell-based intervention must demonstrate improvement.

The challenge

Cell transplantation studies face a unique functional validation challenge: demonstrating not just that donor cells survive in the host retina, but that they form functional synaptic connections with host neurons, produce a light response, and contribute to the downstream visual signal transmitted to the brain. Histological metrics – donor cell survival counts, synaptic marker immunolabelling, electrophysiology – each confirm different aspects of integration but are individually insufficient to establish that the transplant has restored functional vision. The OptoDrum provides the integrative functional endpoint: an improvement in OMR-measured visual acuity can only occur if the transplanted cells are genuinely contributing to the visual circuit, because the optomotor reflex requires a functional signal cascade from photoreceptor to RGC to brainstem to be completed.

In xenograft models – where human cells are transplanted into a rodent retina – the OptoDrum assessment is particularly informative because the rodent optomotor reflex provides a species-independent output that detects visual function regardless of whether the driving signal originates from host or donor cells. Procyk et al (2025) exploited this directly, demonstrating OptoDrum acuity improvement in a rodent host following human cone transplantation, providing the functional evidence of cross-species integration in a translationally relevant experimental design (Procyk et al, 2025, Stem Cell Reports).

Understanding the functional baseline of the degeneration model used as the transplantation recipient is a prerequisite for interpreting any cell therapy efficacy study. Carido et al (2014) provided this baseline for the NaIO3 RPE ablation model, characterising the time course of visual acuity decline and establishing the OptoDrum measurement as the functional platform for evaluating subsequent RPE and photoreceptor replacement strategies (Carido et al, 2014, IOVS). For the AMD and RPE degeneration disease context motivating these transplantation studies, see the Retinal Degeneration and Inherited Retinal Disease application page and the Age-Related Macular Degeneration cluster page. For the retinal degeneration cluster, see Retinal Degeneration.

How Striatech products help

OptoDrum

Measures photopic visual acuity as the integrative functional endpoint for cell transplantation studies: confirms that transplanted photoreceptors have integrated into the host visual circuit and are contributing to a behaviourally measurable visual signal. Applicable in xenograft models (human cells into rodent host) where the species of the light-sensing cell is irrelevant to the OMR output. Longitudinally repeatable for monitoring integration quality over weeks to months.

AcuiSee

Provides the cortical validation complement for transplantation studies where the claim extends beyond subcortical OMR recovery to cortically processed pattern vision. In cell therapy studies where higher-order visual function is the translational endpoint – for example, in regulatory submissions aiming to demonstrate restoration of functionally meaningful spatial vision – AcuiSee tests whether the transplant-restored retinal signal supports a learned visual discrimination, directly paralleling the high-contrast letter chart and forced-choice acuity tests used in clinical trial primary endpoints.

ScotopicKit

When transplanted cells are rod photoreceptors or when the model used involves primary rod degeneration, ScotopicKit extends OptoDrum to test rod-mediated visual recovery under scotopic conditions, providing a functional channel specifically sensitive to rod photoreceptor integration.

DarkAdapt

Ensures complete and reproducible dark-adaptation prior to ScotopicKit scotopic testing in transplantation studies tracking rod-specific integration over weeks to months.

Evidence from the Literature

  • Kinuthia et al (2025) JCI Insight.
  • Procyk et al (2025) Stem Cell Reports.
    Journal Club →
    Feature →

    Transplanted human cone photoreceptors integrate into a degenerated rodent retina and produce optomotor-measurable visual acuity recovery, establishing OptoDrum as a cross-species functional endpoint for photoreceptor transplantation studies.

  • Carido et al (2014) IOVS

    The functional baseline for the NaIO3 RPE ablation model was established, documenting the time course of visual acuity decline by OptoDrum and providing the reference against which any RPE or photoreceptor cell replacement therapy must demonstrate improvement.

  • Barber et al. (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.

    This influential study established that rod photoreceptor transplantation can restore light sensitivity and visual acuity in mouse models of retinal degeneration, using an optomotor drum paradigm equivalent to the OptoDrum approach.

04
Can Scotopic Visual Acuity Testing Detect Rod-Targeted Therapy Outcomes in Retinal Dystrophy Models?
Audience A - Vision-focused
Audience B - CNS/Systemic

Quick Answer

Yes – and the ScotopicKit extension of the OptoDrum is the only Striatech instrument capable of providing this readout. Brunet et al (2026) demonstrated in a retinal dystrophy model that the combined OptoDrum/ScotopicKit design enables simultaneous assessment of both photopic (cone-mediated) and scotopic (rod-mediated) visual function, specifically detecting rod-photoreceptor-targeted therapeutic effects that would be entirely missed by photopic testing alone. This dual-modality approach is directly applicable to any therapeutic study where the primary target is the rod photoreceptor or its supporting cells.

The challenge

Retinitis pigmentosa and related rod-dominant retinal dystrophies preferentially affect rod photoreceptors in the early and middle stages of disease, with cone loss occurring secondary to the primary rod degeneration. Gene therapies targeting rod-specific pathways (including neuroprotective approaches, rod-specific mutation correction, and metabolic support strategies) must therefore be evaluated with a rod-specific functional endpoint – because photopic visual acuity, which relies primarily on cone photoreceptors, may remain relatively intact even as rod function is substantially compromised.

ERG provides the gold-standard rod-specific readout in preclinical RP research, with the scotopic a-wave reflecting rod photoreceptor mass response. However, ERG requires anaesthesia and is not practical for the high-frequency longitudinal monitoring that gene therapy development demands. The ScotopicKit fills this gap precisely: it is an accessory module for the OptoDrum that uses calibrated luminance attenuation in steps of 1 log unit to test visual acuity under near-dark conditions, isolating rod-mediated responses from cone contributions. Brunet et al (2026) exploited this capability in a study evaluating AKT pathway activation as a photoreceptor neuroprotection strategy, demonstrating that SC79 treatment preserves both photopic and scotopic visual acuity in a retinal dystrophy model – a result that would have been missed by photopic testing alone (Brunet et al, 2026, Biomedicines).

The practical workflow for scotopic testing requires dark-adaptation of animals prior to measurement, which is facilitated by the DarkAdapt housing box, ensuring that animals arrive at the OptoDrum in a fully dark-adapted state regardless of laboratory lighting conditions. For broader coverage of night vision and rod function as clinical and research endpoints, see the Night Vision cluster page. For the retinal ganglion cell dysfunction angle of rod-specific degeneration downstream consequences, see the Retinal Ganglion Cell Dysfunction cluster page.

How Striatech products help

OptoDrum

Provides the photopic (cone-mediated) baseline against which scotopic rod-specific deficits and rescue are assessed. Identifies whether the therapeutic effect extends to cone-mediated vision or is specific to the scotopic channel. Photopic measurement takes approximately 4 minutes per animal with no dark-adaptation required.

AcuiSee

Provides a cortically mediated, operant visual acuity endpoint complementing scotopic OMR testing for rod-targeted therapy assessment. Confirms whether rod-targeted therapeutic interventions restore learned visual discrimination at the cortical level, beyond subcortical reflex recovery.

ScotopicKit

Extends OptoDrum testing to scotopic conditions by attenuating stimulus luminance in calibrated steps of 1 log unit, isolating rod photoreceptor contributions to the optomotor response. Provides the rod-specific functional endpoint required to detect and quantify therapeutic rescue of rod-targeted interventions in RP and related dystrophy models. The non-invasive, anaesthesia-free format enables frequent scotopic measurements that would be prohibitively burdensome with repeated ERG protocols. Requires dark- adaptation prior to testing.

DarkAdapt

Light-tight, ventilated housing box that ensures complete, reproducible dark-adaptation prior to ScotopicKit testing. Eliminates variability in dark-adaptation duration and completeness, which is the primary source of measurement variability in scotopic OMR studies. Accommodates standard mouse and rat cages; available for stationary and mobile use.

Evidence from the Literature

  • Kinuthia et al (2025) JCI Insight.
  • Brunet et al (2026) Biomedicines.

    OptoDrum and ScotopicKit were used in a retinal dystrophy model to demonstrate that SC79-mediated AKT activation preserves both photopic and scotopic visual function.

  • Robson et al. (2022) Doc Ophthalmol.

    The ISCEV ERG standard defines the scotopic a-wave protocol as the clinical reference measurement for rod photoreceptor function in inherited retinal disease trials. The ScotopicKit provides the anaesthesia-free, non-invasive preclinical analogue of this endpoint, offering the same rod-specific functional sensitivity in the awake rodent that the ERG provides under anaesthesia, with the important operational advantage of repeatability at frequencies impractical for ERG.

05
Does Optic Nerve Regeneration and Repair Translate to Measurable Functional Vision Recovery?
Audience A - Vision-focused

Quick Answer

Yes – partial but measurable functional vision recovery is achievable in optic nerve injury and glaucoma models when regeneration-promoting, circuit- repair, or epigenetic reprogramming strategies are applied, and OptoDrum provides the quantitative, sensitive, longitudinally repeatable behavioural endpoint needed to detect incremental gains above the post-injury floor. Varadarajan et al (2023), Zhang et al (2024), and Karg et al (2023) each used OptoDrum to demonstrate that distinct regenerative and repair strategies – activity-dependent regeneration, dopaminergic neuromodulation, and OSK epigenetic reprogramming, respectively – produce functionally significant improvements in optomotor visual acuity. For studies specifically targeting cortical visual pathway recovery following optic nerve repair, AcuiSee adds a cortically validated endpoint that tests whether regenerated axons have re-established functional connections with downstream cortical targets.

The challenge

The central translational dilemma in optic nerve regeneration research is the structure- function gap: dozens of published studies demonstrate anatomically that various interventions increase the number of axons that survive, extend, or regenerate past the crush site – yet very few of these axonal gains translate into behaviourally measurable improvements in visual function. This gap arises because anatomical axon counts measure the number of fibres crossing a point, not whether those fibres have re-established functional synaptic contacts with appropriate downstream targets (the superior colliculus, lateral geniculate nucleus, and accessory optic system), conducted action potentials reliably, and been integrated into a functional visual circuit. The OptoDrum directly tests the output of this entire cascade: the optomotor reflex is generated only if the retina, optic nerve, and retinorecipient brainstem nuclei together produce a coherent, sufficiently strong visual signal to drive a tracking response.

The OptoDrum’s graded threshold-seeking algorithm is particularly well suited to detecting partial recovery in regeneration studies: rather than applying a fixed stimulus and recording whether a response occurs, it continuously adjusts the spatial frequency of the grating to find the precise acuity threshold, detecting performance at any level above the post-injury floor, however small. This sensitivity to partial recovery – which binary go/no-go paradigms would miss – is the essential feature for a field where full restoration of vision after optic nerve injury is not yet achievable and where detecting incremental progress is the primary goal. Varadarajan et al (2023) exploited this capability directly, demonstrating measurable partial functional recovery after activity-dependent regeneration that exceeded the untreated injury floor by a small but statistically significant margin (Varadarajan et al, 2023, Cell Rep).

For researchers whose regeneration study involves cortical as well as subcortical targets, AcuiSee offers a complementary endpoint that tests whether the regenerated optic nerve projection has restored cortically processed visual function – a higher bar than the subcortical OMR but one that, when achieved, provides compelling evidence of functionally meaningful recovery at the network level. For the acute injury and ONC model context underlying many of these studies, see the Trauma and Acute Injury application page. For the glaucoma context relevant to OSK and chronic optic neuropathy studies, see the Glaucoma and Optic Nerve Neurodegeneration application page. For dedicated cluster pages on the relevant mechanisms, see Optic Nerve Regeneration, Axon Degeneration, Retinal Ganglion Cell Death, and for the aging intersection of optic neuropathy, the Aging cluster page.

How Striatech products help

OptoDrum

Tracks the magnitude and time course of partial functional visual recovery after optic nerve injury, regeneration intervention, or epigenetic reprogramming. The graded threshold- seeking algorithm detects incremental gains above the post-injury acuity floor that are invisible to binary visual function tests. Longitudinally repeatable without anaesthesia; enables pre-injury baseline, acute post-injury deficit, and recovery time course all in the same animal.

AcuiSee

In regeneration studies where the specific question is whether regenerated axons have re-established cortical visual processing – for example, when axon tracing demonstrates reconnection to the LGN and visual cortex and the next question is whether these connections support higher-order visual function – AcuiSee provides the operant cortical endpoint. Requires 10–14 day training phase; most appropriate at later time points in regeneration studies when the anatomical basis for cortical recovery has been established and functional validation is the remaining question.

Non-aversive Animal Platform

Essential for post-ONC or post-surgical animals that may be debilitated or handling- averse following repeated injection, electrical stimulation, or other interventional procedures associated with regeneration protocols. The tunnel-lid design allows voluntary entry from the home cage, minimising stress-induced suppression of the OMR in neurologically compromised animals where the visual signal is already near threshold.

Evidence from the Literature

  • Kinuthia et al (2025) JCI Insight.
  • Varadarajan et al (2023) Cell Rep.
    Journal Club →

    Enhancing postsynaptic activity in visual brain targets drives RGC axon regeneration after ONC and produces partial functional vision recovery measurable by OptoDrum, demonstrating that activity-dependent regeneration translates anatomical axon growth into a behaviourally confirmed visual improvement.

  • Zhang et al (2024) Sci Adv.

    Dopaminergic neuromodulation by amacrine cells was identified as a contributor to functional visual recovery after ONC, with OptoDrum tracking visual acuity longitudinally to document recovery trajectory and magnitude. The study reveals an intraretinal circuit mechanism – distinct from axon regeneration – that contributes to visual recovery, broadening the therapeutic toolkit for optic nerve repair.

  • Karg et al (2023) Cell Reprogram.
    Journal Club →

    AAV-mediated OSK epigenetic reprogramming of RGCs produces sustained visual acuity recovery in both aged mice and glaucomatous eyes. OptoDrum was used to track the functional benefit over extended post-treatment periods.

Product Fit

Summary: Striatech Products supporting your research questions

Research Question OptoDrum ScotopicKit AcuiSee Photorefractor Keratometer DarkAdapt Non-aversive Platform
AAV gene therapy functional validation Yes Yes Yes* Yes (with ScotopicKit) Yes
Optogenetic vision restoration Yes Yes** Yes
Photoreceptor transplantation Yes Yes Yes* Yes (with ScotopicKit)
Scotopic / rod-targeted therapy Yes Yes Yes Yes
Optic nerve regeneration and repair Yes Yes*** Yes
*AcuiSee for gene therapy and cell transplantation: applicable when the translational claim specifically extends to cortical visual processing. For example, in regulatory submissions or IND-enabling studies where demonstrating cortically accessible vision restoration is an explicit endpoint, or in studies comparing different therapeutic strategies where ranking quality of vision restoration (not just presence/absence of OMR improvement) is the goal. **AcuiSee for optogenetics: strongest justification among all applications on this pillar. The operant discrimination paradigm is the most direct preclinical analogue of the forced-choice visual tests used in clinical optogenetic therapy trials, and it specifically tests whether non-canonical opsin-driven signals (which may differ in spectral sensitivity, kinetics, and contrast gain from native photoreceptor signals) are sufficient to support cortical visual decision-making. Recommended for any optogenetic study making translational efficacy claims. ***AcuiSee for optic nerve regeneration: most appropriate at later time points in recovery studies, after anatomical tracing has confirmed reconnection to cortical targets and the remaining question is whether these connections support cortically mediated visual function. Not suitable for early post-injury time points or where the primary aim is sensitive detection of near-threshold functional recovery, where OptoDrum is the more appropriate tool. Photorefractor and Keratometer are not listed as applicable: they measure refractive state and corneal curvature, which are not primary endpoints in gene therapy, optogenetics, transplantation, or regeneration studies targeting the inner retina or optic nerve. They would become applicable if a study specifically investigated the effects of a therapeutic intervention on anterior segment optics.
Measurement Modalities

Measuring Functional Visual Outcomes in Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration: How Do Available Methods Compare?

The table below compares Striatech functional assessment instruments alongside other modalities routinely used in gene therapy, optogenetics, transplantation, and regeneration research. The goal is an honest account of where each approach adds specific value and where Striatech tools are genuinely complementary to established alternatives.
Modality What It Measures Pathway assessed Invasiveness Anaesthesia Longitudinal Repeatability Automation Training Required Translational Relevance to Human Outcomes
OptoDrum (OMR) Photopic visual acuity and contrast sensitivity; subcortical pathway integrity Retina → brainstem (subcortical) Non-invasive No Daily if required Fully automated Minimal Moderate: maps to subcortical visual pathway but not to cortical pattern vision or letter acuity
OptoDrum + ScotopicKit Scotopic (rod-mediated) visual acuity and contrast sensitivity Rod photoreceptors → brainstem (scotopic subcortical) Non-invasive No Daily if required Fully automated Minimal; dark-adaptation protocol required Moderate to high: rod-specific endpoint directly relevant to RP and rod-targeting therapy trials
AcuiSee (operant) Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity via learned visual discrimination Retina → cortex (full pathway including cortical processing) Non-invasive No Yes, after training phase Moderate Moderate; 10–14 day training phase High: forced-choice paradigm directly analogous to clinical visual acuity tests; confirms cortical visual processing
Flash ERG Photoreceptor (a-wave) and inner retinal (b-wave) mass electrical responses Photoreceptor layer and inner nuclear layer (outer and inner retina) Minimally invasive (corneal electrode) Yes (typically) Limited by anaesthesia; typically weekly Moderate Moderate to high; electrophysiology expertise required High for photoreceptor rescue: ERG is the primary clinical endpoint in most IRD gene therapy trials; scotopic a-wave for rod function
Electroretinography (pattern ERG, PERG) RGC-specific electrical response Inner retina / RGC layer Minimally invasive Yes (typically) Limited by anaesthesia Low to moderate High; specialised expertise required Moderate: maps to inner retinal function but requires anaesthesia, limiting longitudinal use
Visual evoked potential (VEP) Cortical visual response; signal reaching and processed by V1 Full pathway to visual cortex Invasive (cortical electrodes) Yes Low; requires surgical implantation Low High; surgical and neurophysiology expertise required High for cortical pathway: direct measure of cortical visual processing but high procedural burden
Pupillary light reflex (PLR) Intrinsically photosensitive RGC (ipRGC) function and overall light sensitivity Retina → pretectal nucleus (non-image-forming) Non-invasive No (typically) Yes; frequently repeatable Semi-automated Low Moderate: measures non-image-forming light sensitivity; useful for optogenetics but does not assess spatial vision
Axon tracing and anatomical endpoints (CTB, BDA) Anatomical connectivity from retina to brain targets; axon regeneration extent Optic nerve projection anatomy Terminal Yes (terminal) None (terminal) Semi-automated (imaging) High; specialised histology expertise required Low direct: confirms anatomy but not function; does not substitute for functional validation
Histological cell counts (RBPMS, cone arrestin, GFAP) Absolute surviving cell numbers; photoreceptor and RGC layer integrity Retinal structure (terminal) Terminal Yes (terminal) None (terminal) Semi-automated (counting algorithms) Moderate; immunohistochemistry expertise required Low direct: counts surviving cells but does not confirm functional integration or visual recovery
For gene therapy, optogenetics, and regeneration research, the optimal experimental design integrates Striatech behavioural tools with ERG (for outer retinal function) and at least one anatomical endpoint (histological cell counts or axon tracing), generating converging lines of evidence that structural rescue, electrophysiological function, and behavioural vision recovery are all achieved. The Striatech instruments' specific contribution is the behavioural functional layer – the confirmation that whatever is happening at the cellular and circuit level actually translates into visual performance – which ERG and histology alone cannot provide. For further information on Striatech instrument capabilities and product specifications, see the product pages at stria.tech.
Supported by Striatech Products

Publications on Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration

Great Research, Interactive

Journal Clubs related to Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration

Featured image for “Journal Club: Photoreceptor Cell Therapy to Treat Advanced Retinal Degeneration”
Register to Watch Now
Thursday, 05 Feb 2026

Journal Club: Photoreceptor Cell Therapy to Treat Advanced Retinal Degeneration

Image
Rachael Pearson, Ph.D. - Ocular Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King’s College London
Image
This Journal Club highlights research by Rachael Pearson et al. on photoreceptor transplantation. Photoreceptor transplantation has long been proposed as a strategy to restore vision, but in advanced retinal degeneration it remained unclear whether the inner retinal neurons could still accept and process new inputs from donor cells. The study shows that human pluripotent stem cell–derived cone photoreceptors can integrate into end-stage mouse retinas, drive retinal function, and induce behavioral responses, revealing that even severely degenerated retinas retain the capacity to remodel in response to healthy photoreceptors.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Gene-Agnostic Gene Therapy to Preserve Vision”
Q&A available
Register to Watch Now
Thursday, 11 Dec 2025

Journal Club: Gene-Agnostic Gene Therapy to Preserve Vision

Image
Constance Cepko, Ph.D. - Harvard Medical School: Genetics & Ophthalmology (Blavatnik Institute) • HHMI
Image
This Journal Club features innovative research by Harvard’s Cepko lab, exploring gene-independent strategies to preserve vision in retinitis pigmentosa and other genetic forms of blindness. Using AAVs to enhance metabolic support, including MCT2 expression in retinal pigment epithelial cells, they preserved cone photoreceptors and maintained color and daylight vision across diverse genotypes.
Featured image for “Journal Club: RIP1 Inhibition Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells in Preclinical Glaucoma Models”
Q&A available
Watch now
Wednesday, 18 Jun 2025

Journal Club: RIP1 Inhibition Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells in Preclinical Glaucoma Models

Image
Bo Kyoung Kim, Ph.D. - Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
Image
This Journal Club features innovative research by Kim et al., who revealed that inhibiting RIP1 kinase protects retinal ganglion cells in preclinical glaucoma models. Their work demonstrates that targeting necroptosis and inflammation can prevent cell loss and functional decline, directly linking genetic risk to inflammatory degeneration and highlighting RIP1 as a promising therapeutic target for neuroprotection in glaucoma.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Aging and Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells Can Be Rejuvenated by Epigenetic Reprogramming”
Watch now
Thursday, 27 Feb 2025

Journal Club: Aging and Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells Can Be Rejuvenated by Epigenetic Reprogramming

Image
Bruce R. Ksander, Ph.D. - Schepens Eye Institute of Mass Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology
Image
This Journal Club highlights groundbreaking work by Harvard Medical School scientist Bruce R. Ksander and his team. They were able to reverse aging in retinal ganglion cells, improving visual function after injury or in disease.
Featured image for “Journal Club: The Impact of Lateral Inhibition on Healthy Vision and Retinal Degeneration”
Q&A available
Watch now
Thursday, 05 Dec 2024

Journal Club: The Impact of Lateral Inhibition on Healthy Vision and Retinal Degeneration

Image
Matteo Rizzi, Ph.D. - UCL Institute of Ophthalmology – Moorfields Eye Hospital, Visual Perception and Repair Laboratory
Image
This Journal Club provides insights into Matteo Rizzi’s research on lateral inhibition in the retina, highlighting its impact on visual function and the development of gene therapy for age-related macular degeneration.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Developing a Novel Gene Therapy for Kcnv2 Retinopathy”
Q&A available
Watch now
Wednesday, 24 Jan 2024

Journal Club: Developing a Novel Gene Therapy for Kcnv2 Retinopathy

Image
Livia Carvalho, Ph.D. - University of Melbourne
Image
This Journal Club demonstrates the effectiveness of an AAV-based gene therapy in rescuing vision and restoring normal retinal responses in a mouse model of KCNV2 retinopathy, a genetic form of irreversible blindness caused by mutations in the Kv8.2 subunit of voltage-gated potassium channels. Efficacy tests were carried out with Striatech’s OptoDrum and ScotopicKit, among others.
Featured image for “Symposium: Opportunities, Hopes, and Challenges in Translating Visual Restoration from Mouse to Human”
Watch now
Sunday, 17 Sep 2023

Symposium: Opportunities, Hopes, and Challenges in Translating Visual Restoration from Mouse to Human

Image
Professor Eberhart Zrenner - Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen
Image
Image
Constance Cepko, PhD - Harvard Medical School
Image
Image
Miikka Terho, MBA - Pioneer Retina Implant Patient, Finland
Striatech celebrates its 5th anniversary with a top-class Symposium on the topic of translating visual restoration from mouse to human. Presentations will be given by Professor Eberhart Zrenner (University of Tübingen), Professor Constance Cepko (Harvard Medical School) and Miikka Terho (Pioneer Retina Implant Patient, Finland). In addition, the speakers will highlight important aspects and directions in this area of research in a moderated panel discussion.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Postsynaptic Neuronal Activity Promotes Retinal Axon Regeneration”
Q&A available
Watch now
Wednesday, 21 Jun 2023

Journal Club: Postsynaptic Neuronal Activity Promotes Retinal Axon Regeneration

Image
Supraja Varadarajan, Ph.D. - Stanford University, School of Medicine, Huberman Lab
Image
This Journal Club provides insights into mechanisms that promote retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon regeneration in vertebrates after optic nerve injury.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Inherited Retinal Dystrophy: Chronic Proinflammatory Signaling Accelerates the Rate of Degeneration”
Q&A available
Watch now
Wednesday, 05 Apr 2023

Journal Club: Inherited Retinal Dystrophy: Chronic Proinflammatory Signaling Accelerates the Rate of Degeneration

Image
T.J. Hollingsworth, PhD - University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Image
T.J. Hollingsworth presents his work where he characterized a new polygenic mouse model of inherited retinal dystrophies, the BXD32 mouse strain. He presents evidence that a proinflammatory environment in the retina supports and accelerates the degeneration of the retina and the loss of visual function.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Developing Retinal Gene Therapy for Zellweger Spectrum Disorder (ZSD)”
Q&A available
Watch now
Wednesday, 25 Jan 2023

Journal Club: Developing Retinal Gene Therapy for Zellweger Spectrum Disorder (ZSD)

Image
Catherine Argyriou, PhD - McGill University, Dept of Human Genetics
Image
Peroxisomal disorders and the PEX1-G844D mouse model for mild Zellweger Spectrum Disorder (ZSD), leads to retinal degeneration and vision loss. Catherine Argyriou will describe how her team used AAV8-mediated gene delivery to robustly and durably improve functional vision, retinal response, retinal structure, and biochemical metabolites in ZSD-mice.
Featured image for “Journal Club: In Vivo Modeling of Immune-mediated Optic Neuropathies”
Q&A available
Watch now
Wednesday, 09 Nov 2022

Journal Club: In Vivo Modeling of Immune-mediated Optic Neuropathies

Image
Oliver W. Gramlich, Ph.D. - The University of Iowa
Image
This presentation will outline the pathobiology and visual phenotype of immune mediated optic neuropathies that include Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Neuromylitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), and Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD).
Featured image for “Webinar: AcuiSee – Rodent Visual Acuity Using Behavioral Conditioning”
Watch now
Wednesday, 17 Nov 2021

Webinar: AcuiSee – Rodent Visual Acuity Using Behavioral Conditioning

Image
Dr. Jeffrey A Jamison - Experimentica Ltd.
Image
In this Webinar, Dr. Jeff Jamison will talk about “AcuiSee”, with which one can measure rodent vision based on an operant conditioning paradigm. Jeff is the developer of AcuiSee, and he now works as Director of In-Vivo Pharmacology at Experimentica.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Restoring vision – Optogenetic gene therapy targeted at human ON-bipolar cells”
Q&A available
Watch now
Thursday, 25 Mar 2021

Journal Club: Restoring vision – Optogenetic gene therapy targeted at human ON-bipolar cells

Image
Dr. Elmar Hulliger - Institute of Physiology, University of Bern
Image
Optogenetic gene therapy holds great promise for healing blindness. Hulliger et al have developed a new promoter that effectively targets human ON bipolar cells. This is an important step towards clinical applications of optogenetic gene therapy for restoring vision.
Featured image for “Webinar: Visual Acuity as a Relevant Phenotype in Mouse Models of Rare Disease”
Watch now
Thursday, 08 Oct 2020

Webinar: Visual Acuity as a Relevant Phenotype in Mouse Models of Rare Disease

Image
Zoë Bichler, PhD - The Jackson Laboratory
Image
Image
Maximiliano Presa, PhD - The Jackson Laboratory
Image
The Jackson Laboratory will introduce their Neurobehavior Phenotyping Core, in which they also do visual acuity measurements. They will present two examples where the OptoDrum has been used to characterizte vision in animal models for rare disease: The Charcot-Marie-Tooth-disease, and Multiple-Sulfatase-Deficiency.
Featured image for “Journal Club: Measuring Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity by Optomotor Reflex in Rodents”
Watch now
Thursday, 02 Apr 2020

Journal Club: Measuring Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity by Optomotor Reflex in Rodents

Image
Dr. Thomas Münch - Striatech
Image
Image
Dr. Kaushikaram Subramanian - Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Image
Image
Prof. Volker Enzmann - Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bern
Image
In vision research, observing the optomotor reflex (OMR) is an important and widely established method for assessing visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in rodents. In this event, we will hear about several applications of OMR measuremnts, ranging from quantification of retinal degeneration to characterization of night vision.
Keep exploring

Related application areas, neighbouring research chapters, and the questions researchers ask most.

Research Chapter

Restoring Vision: Gene Therapy, Optogenetics and Regeneration

Gene therapy, optogenetics, and regenerative strategies for vision restoration. Each requires non-invasive, quantitative functional readouts to confirm that a treated eye actually sees better.

12
Application Areas
5
FAQs answered
Part of Eye & Retinal Disease

Main Application Areas

Blindness
Gene Therapy
Glial Suppression
Night Vision
Optic Nerve Regeneration
Optogenetics

Additional Topics

Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Aging
Axon Degeneration
Rare Disease
Retinal Degeneration
Retinal Dystrophy