Retinal ganglion cell circuits and glial interactions

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are crucial for vision, and they interact across species with broadly conserved cell types that include neural partners, astrocytes, and microglia in the retina and the brain.

Humans have approximately half as many ganglion cell types as mice, and human high-acuity vision relies on only a few RGC types within the fovea, a structure that is absent in mice.

RGCs communicate with microglia and astrocytes to impact glial biology, and glial cells in turn modulate ganglion cell connectivity and function.

Emerging models for studying the human visual system may uncover human-specific differences in neural development and neuron–glia interactions that may drive specialized features of human brain development more broadly.

https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/fulltext/S0166-2236(24)00182-6

https://sciencemission.com/Retinal-ganglion-cell-circuits-and-glial-interactions-in-humans-and-mice