Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School are studying how to use the stem cell properties of Müller glia (MG), which are activated by dying retinal neurons in zebrafish, to create a therapy for human retinal regeneration.
Tell me more about Müller glial cells.
While MG are found in both fish and mammals—and aid in retinal structure and homeostasis for both—only in zebrafish do these cells respond to retinal neurodegeneration. They work adopting stem cell properties that allow them to regenerate retinal neurons.
Talk about the study.
Investigators assessed zebrafish to determine if cells—aside from dying retinal neurons—play a role in MG’s regenerative response.
What did they find?
The study found that Vegf-Notch signaling in injured retinal cells causes changes in the MG gene expression that allow for cell reprogramming and proliferation. Additionally, the Vegf signaling pathway links immune cells and vascular endothelial cells with MG.
This signaling pathway does not exist in mammals, which may explain why humans cannot regenerate their retinas. (via)
What’s the significance of this?
Degeneration of retinal neurons can lead to a variety of blinding eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Understanding how zebrafish retinas regenerate could help researchers in developing techniques for human retina regeneration.