Small non-coding RNAs regulate retinal ganglion cell maturation and the developmental loss of intrinsic axon growth capacity

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Project Summary The retinal ganglion cells convey information from the eye to the brain through their axons in the optic nerve and the optic tract. The molecular mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell axon growth are still poorly understood, and adult retinal ganglion cells do not spontaneously regenerate injured axons, contributing to the loss of vision associated with optic nerve trauma and optic neuropathies. Our goal is to investigate a novel approach for stimulating the retinal ganglion cells’ intrinsic capacity to regenerate axons through the optic nerve to restore visual responses. We will utilize established animal models for investigating the roles of small non-coding RNAs in regulating retinal ganglion cell maturation and the developmental loss of axon growth capacity, and test their potential for regenerating the injured optic nerve. We will also investigate through which molecular pathways the identified small non-coding RNAs regulate neurite growth. Furthermore, we will investigate the roles of these small non-coding RNAs in arborization of retinal ganglion cell dendrites during retinal development. We expect that these studies will advance our understanding of the roles the small non-coding RNAs play in retinal ganglion cell biology, as well as potentially lead to the development of novel approaches for restoring simple visual functions after optic nerve injury.