In Vivo Detection of Retinal Ganglion Cell Stress in Rodents with DARC

Abstract

DARC (detection of apoptosing retinal cells) uses fluorescently tagged Annexin A5 to identify retinal apoptosis non-invasively in vivo using a confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscope (cSLO). This can provide insights into the presence and progression of disease pathology and the efficacy of neuroprotective intervention. The methods of administration, imaging, and quantification of DARC, including the operation of the cSLO, are described here.