This book provides a contemporary resource on one of the major players in retinal diseases - the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE). Throughout the book, the physiological and the pathological function of the RPE are covered on equal terms, to help readers to understand the RPE as a whole. Moreover, the development of RPE in diagnostics and therapy are covered, as well as some practical knowledge about RPE experimental models.

I. Physiological RPE function.- 1. RPE Histopathology and Morphometry.- 2. RPE Polarity and Barrier Functions.- 3. RPE Phagocytosis.- 4. Ion Channels of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium.- 5. RPE and the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor.- 6. The RPE cell and the Immune system.- II.The RPE in Disease.- 7. The RPE in Myopia development.- 8. Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Proliferative Disorders.- 9. Retinal pigment epithelium in health and disease: maturation, aging and age-related macular degeneration.- 10. Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Age-related Macular Degeneration.- 11. Sex Related Differences in Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Retinal Disease.- III. The RPE in Diagnostics.- 12. RPE in Optical Coherence Tomography.- 13. RPE Autofluorescence.- IV. The RPE in Therapy.- 14. RPE and Stem Cell Therapy.- 15. RPE in Gene Therapy.- 16. RPE and Laser.- V. Experimental RPE Models.- 17. RPE Cell Culture.- 18. Retinal Pigment Epithelium Organ Culture.- 19. Animal Models of Diseasesof the Retinal Pigment Epithelium.