Concise review: making a retina--from the building blocks to clinical applications.

The retina is the neural tissue located at the back of the eye that captures and processes light and transmits this information to visual processing centers in the brain, which enables us to see. Basic research in retinal development has provided important insight on the control of cell fate, proliferation, and neurogenesis in the central nervous system. This review summarizes the major cellular and molecular events that occur during retinal development and highlights how this knowledge may be harnessed for new therapeutic strategies to treat retinal disease. Copyright © 2011 AlphaMed Press.