MERTK and Retinal dystrophy: Several of the observed down-regulated proteins involved in retinal degeneration have previously been identified in various inherited retinal dystrophies, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RPE65, RP2, RBP3 and MERTK) [38,39,40], CRB1-retinal dystrophy [41], Usher syndrome (PCDH15), Leber congenital amaurosis (RD3) [42], and X-linked retinoschisis (RS1) [43], lending some support to the idea that there are a number of overlapping pathogenic mechanisms underlying both inherited retinal dystrophies and DR.