Regeneration of Retinal Cells in Adult Mice

Researchers have discovered a way to provoke generation of new retinal cells in mice, based on investigation of the way in which regeneration functions in zebrafish, a species capable of regrowing lost organs. If we are fortunate, there will be something here that can be generalized and applied to other nervous system tissues, but even if restricted to the retina this is a good step forward for the field. It is promising to see that research into the biochemistry of species capable of proficient regeneration, such as zebrafish and salamanders, is starting to bear fruit.

Many tissues of our bodies, such as our skin, can heal because they contain stem cells that can divide and differentiate into the type of cells needed to repair damaged tissue. The cells of our retinas, however, lack this ability to regenerate. As a consequence, injury to the retina often leads to permanent vision loss. This is not the case, however, in zebrafish, which have a remarkable ability to regenerate damaged tissue, including neural tissue like the retina. This is possible because the zebrafish retina contains cells called Müller glia that harbor a gene that allows them to regenerate. When these cells sense that the retina has been injured, they turn on this gene, called Ascl1. The gene codes for a type of protein called a transcription factor. It can affect the activity of many other genes and, therefore, have a major effect on cell function. In the case of the zebrafish, activation of Ascl...

Source: Fight Aging! - July 27, 2017 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs