Injury and Repair Responses: Retinal Detachment

Injury to the mammalian retina produces a number of cellular wound-healing types of responses, with similarities and differences to injury responses in the brain and spinal cord. Retinal detachment is one such serious, sight-threatening injury that produces responses from almost all cell types including cellular degeneration and death, neuronal remodeling, some poorly understood immune responses, and glial cell reactivity. Glial cell reactivity is particularly important in glial scar formation which may, in turn, have future downstream effects on visual recovery. The glial cell response is prominent in all injuries to the central nervous system and, yet, its exact purpose and regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood.