The importance of glia in the development of healthy blood vessels in the eye

眼睛中健康血管的形成对视力至关重要。血管紧张素II是一种重要的肽，在整个身体（包括眼睛）的血管形成中起作用。被称为星形胶质细胞和小胶质细胞的特定视网膜细胞被认为参与血管形成。然而，这些细胞控制这种形成的方式是未知的。利用创新的技术，这个项目将研究视网膜星形胶质细胞和小胶质细胞如何通过血管紧张素II控制胶质血管通讯和血管形成。从这个建议中获得的信息是至关重要的，我们了解正常的视网膜发育和血管维护在婴儿和老年人。

The formation of healthy blood vessels in the eye is critical for vision. An important peptide in blood vessel formation throughout the body, including the eye, is Angiotensin II. Specific retinal cells named astrocytes and microglia are suggested to be involved in vessel formation. However, the way these cells control this formation is unknown. Using innovative techniques, this project will investigate how retinal astrocytes and microglia control glial-vascular communication and blood vessel formation via Angiotensin II. The information gained from this proposal is critical to our understanding of both normal retinal development and blood vessel maintenance in both infants and those of older ages.