Retinal treatment with α2‐adrenoceptor agonists results in the activation of neuroprotective mechanisms, such as basic fibroblast growth factor in rat photoreceptors15, 16 or the extracellular signal‐regulated kinases signalling pathway in chick Müller cells.12 Such mechanisms have been shown to be protective against chick form‐deprivation myopia31, 32 and guinea pig lens‐induced myopia.33, 34. The gene discussed is FGF2; the disease is myopia.