Using the rd1 mouse to understand functional and anatomical retinal remodelling and treatment implications in retinitis pigmentosa: A review

•Useful insights on cellular and functional changes in autosomal recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa have been provided by the rd1 mouse.•Hallmarks of remodelling are: cell death, cellular anatomical changes, aberrant synapses, aberrant functional receptors.•The remodelling changes impact on intervention measures designed to restore vision.

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) reflects a range of inherited retinal disorders which involve photoreceptor degeneration and retinal pigmented epithelium dysfunction. Despite the multitude of genetic mutations being associated with the RP phenotype, the clinical and functional manifestations of the disease remain the same: nyctalopia, visual field constriction (tunnel vision), photopsias and pigment proliferation. In this review, we describe the typical clinical phenotype of human RP and review the anatomical and functional remodelling which occurs in RP determined from studies in the rd/rd (rd1) mouse. We also review studies that report a slowing down or show an acceleration of retinal degeneration and finally we provide insights on the impact retinal remodelling may have in vision restoration strategies.