Vision researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine have successfully regenerated cells in the retina of adult mice, and hope their results will one day lead to the repair of retinas damaged by trauma, glaucoma and other eye diseases.
Scientists reportedly turned to the zebrafish, which has the ability to regenerate damaged tissue including neural tissue like the retina, through Müller glia cells that include a gene called Ascl1 that allows them to regenerate.
The research team reportedly wanted to see whether it was possible to use this gene to reprogram Müller glia in adult mice. They reportedly created a mouse that had a version of the Ascl1 gene in its Müller glia, and the gene was turned on with an injection of the drug tamoxifen. The vision researchers were reportedly able to show by using a drug that blocks epigenetic regulation, activation of Ascl1 allows the Müller glia in adult mice to differentiate into functioning interneurons that could integrate into the existing retina, establish connections with other retinal cells, and react normally to signals from the light-detecting retinal cells.
The research was recently published in the journal Nature.
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Source: University of Washington Health Sciences