Human deprivation amblyopia: treatment insights from animal models

Amblyopia is a common visual impairment that develops during the early years of postnatal life. It emerges as sequela to eye misalignment, an imbalanced refractive state, or obstruction form vision. All these conditions prevent normal vision and derail typical development neural connections within system. Among subtypes amblyopia, most debilitating recalcitrant treatment deprivation amblyopia. Nevertheless, human studies focused on advancing standard care for amblyopia have largely avoided recruitment patients with this rare but severe subtype. In review, we delineate characteristics underscore critical need new more effective therapy. Animal models offer unique opportunity address unmet by enabling unconventional potent therapies cannot be pioneered in humans. Insights derived from using animal are discussed potential therapeutic innovations remediation Retinal inactivation highlighted emerging therapy exhibits efficacy against effects monocular at ages when conventional ineffective, recovery occurs without apparent detriment treated eye.