Researchers led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), along with an international team, have uncovered genetic pathways and chemical compounds that can help protect cone photoreceptors. These cells are damaged in diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss.

Why Cone Cells Matter for Sight
Cone photoreceptors are located in the macula and play a crucial role in everyday vision tasks like reading, recognizing faces, and seeing color. When these cells die, as they do in many inherited retinal disorders and macular degeneration, central vision begins to fade. Despite years of research, there are still no approved treatments that can stop this process. This study, led by first authors Stefan Spirig, Alvaro Herrero Navarro, and colleagues, tackles that challenge using a human-based experimental model.