Imaging the Retinal Vascular Mural Cells In Vivo: Elucidating the Timeline of Their Loss in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Our results offer a new framework for understanding the pathophysiologic course of VMC compromise in DR, which may facilitate the development and monitoring of therapeutic strategies aimed at VMC preservation and potentially the prevention of clinical DR and its associated morbidity. Imaging retinal VMCs provides an unparalleled opportunity to visualize these cells in vivo and may have wider implications in a range of diseases where these cells are disrupted.