Stem Cells in the Retina

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The central nervous system (CNS) of people has only a limited capacity to regenerate after traumatic damage or degenerative diseases. However, in the past few years several lines of evidence have shown that new neurons are generated in the brains of higher vertebrates, and even humans. While the amount of neurogenesis that occurs in adults is limited, the capacity for stimulating this process for repair and regeneration is just beginning to be explored. We have found that the retina of the post hatch chick is capable of a limited amount of regeneration. In the past year we have also discovered a similar process in the rat and mouse retina. In this proposal we outline experiments that will lead to a better understanding of the molecular factors that regulate glial proliferation, and the mechanisms by which they maintain their phenotype. We also will attempt to define the basis for their plasticity and ability to serve as retinal progenitors and as a substrate for retinal regeneration. We use the retina, an easily accessible part of the central nervous system, as a model for the rest of the CNS.