eye_upper_slim part_of part of blood vessel endothelial cell retinal blood vessel endothelial cell 2011-03-06T03:28:27Z A blood vessel endothelial cell that is part of the retina. Retinal blood vessel endothelial cells constitute the innermost lining of the blood vessels found in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. The primary role of these cells revolves around their location within the retinal vascular system, forming the structure of the blood-retinal barrier, a subset of the larger blood-ocular barrier system. The endothelial cells are particularly involved in the growth of new retinal blood vessels from pre-existing ones (angiogenesis); this is critical in managing the amount of oxygen and essential nutrients delivered to the ocular tissues. They are crucial for maintaining homeostasis in the retinal environment by controlling the exchange of molecules between the blood and the retina. Furthermore, they mediate immune cell trafficking, supporting the immune privilege of the eye by preventing the unrestricted infiltration of inflammatory cells into the retina, thus maintaining ocular health and normal vision. The malfunction or dysfunction of retinal blood vessel endothelial cells is implicated in numerous ocular pathologies, particularly diabetic retinopathy, which is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. In such conditions, the compromise in the integrity of the blood-retinal barrier and excess angiogenesis can lead to retinal edema and pathological neovascularization, resulting in vision loss. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.) retinal cell retina