Harvard Medical School researchers are studying chickens for a better understanding of how the fovea forms in the human retina, which may help regenerative medicine researchers model healthy human eyes and provide clues on how to combat macular degeneration.
According to researchers, the formation of a high-acuity, rod-free area in chickens requires suppression of retinoic acid — a derivative of vitamin A — that occurred only that specific area of the retina and only for a brief time during embryo development. They found the drop in retinoic acid happened during a shifting balance between enzymes that either create or destroy the acid. Researchers reportedly found a similar pattern in human retinal tissue, suggesting that something similar happens in people.
The researchers believe their discovery may help stem cell researchers in forming a fovea, and also provide a foundation for investigating why the macula is so prone to disease, which could in turn lead to new treatments.
The research was recently published in the journal Developmental Cell.
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Source: Harvard Medical School