Abstract: Nucleic acid vectors encoding light-gated cation-selective membrane channels, in particular channelrhodopsin-2 (Chop2), converted inner retinal neurons to photosensitive cells in photoreceptor-degenerated retina in an animal model. Such treatment restored visual perception and various aspects of vision. A method of restoring light sensitivity to a retina of a subject suffering from vision loss due to photoreceptor degeneration, as in retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration, is provided. The method comprises delivering to the subject by intravitreal or subretinal injection, the above nucleic acid vector which comprises an open reading frame encoding a rhodopsin, to which is operatively linked a promoter and transcriptional regulatory sequences, so that the nucleic acid is expressed in inner retinal neurons.

Abstract: The present invention relates to transgenic animals comprising a mutation or deletion to the ANF-RGC protein, particularly to its ARM and/or its ATS-ST region. Such animals may be used to study the effects on pathways associated with ANF-RGC activation, including, but not limited to, hypertension. Such animals may also be used in drug screen assays, to establish toxicity profiles, or other similar methods discussed herein known in the art.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing a push/pull perceptual learning technique to a subject demonstrating sensory eye dominance (SED) and/or amblyopia. More specifically, the weak eye of the subject is cued forcing it to become dominant, while visualization in the strong eye is suppressed over the course of a treatment regimen. Such systems and methods are shown herein to result in a perceptual learning and a reduction of interocular imbalance, as well as an improvement in the visual characteristics typically associated with very little or no SED and/or amblyopia, such as improved depth perception.