An effective timing and dosage regiment for in vivo targeting of capsid mutant AAV2-Cre viral particles to murine ganglion cell layer retinal neurons is demonstrated.

Unintended loxP-independent toxicity is observed in RGCs with long-term Cre expression.

Short-term Cre expression strategies targeting adult murine RGCs have no measurable impact on RGC survival within a 4 week time frame.

Short-term Cre expression studies can be conducted in tandem with axonal injury rodent models for genetic analysis of optic neuropathies.