Constitutive Activation Mutant mTOR Promote Cone Survival in Retinitis Pigmentosa Mice.

Studies form our laboratory and others show that the oncogenic tyrosine kinase and serine threonine kinase signaling pathways are essential for cone photoreceptor survival. These pathways are downregulated in mouse models of retinal degenerative diseases. In the present study, we found that activation mutants of mTOR delayed the death of cones in a mouse model of retinal degeneration. These studies suggest that oncogenic protein kinases may be useful as therapeutic agents to treat retinal degenerations that affect cones.