Imaging Hyaloid Regression

描述（由申请人提供）：在晶状体形成过程中，会形成一个短暂的血管网络，即玻璃体网络，在晶状体发育过程中为晶状体提供营养。然而，在人类胎儿发育晚期和小鼠出生后早期发育过程中，玻璃状血管发生退化，使晶状体具有透明的视觉路径。玻璃体血管的异常消退或生长可导致多种疾病，包括持续性增生性小血管膜（PHTVL）、持续性原发性玻璃体增生性玻璃体（PHPV）、持续性胎儿血管（PFV）和持续性瞳孔前膜（PPM）。在这项研究中，我们将使用荧光报告小鼠标记参与血管退化的关键细胞类型，活体共聚焦成像和FACS分类和表达分析来定义导致血管退化发生的细胞事件。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): During the formation of the lens, a transient vessel network, the hyaloid network, forms to nourish the lens as it develops. However, during late fetal development in humans and early postnatal development in mice, hyaloid vessels undergo regression to enable a transparent path of vision through the lens. Abnormal regression or growth of the hyaloid vasculature results in several diseases, including persistent hyperplastic tunica vasculosa lentis (PHTVL), persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) and persistent prepupillary membrane (PPM). In this study, we will use fluorescent reporter mice labeling key cell types involved in vessel regression, live confocal imaging and FACS sorting and expression analysis to define cellular events leading to the onset of vessel regression. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The abnormal growth and regression of blood vessels in the eye is the leading cause of blindness in children, adults and the elderly (Campochiaro, 2000). This study will use vital imaging to characterize how vessels regress in the newborn eye using mouse models in which individual cell types in the hyaloid vasculature are labeled with fluorescent protein reporters. Live imaging and FACS sorting will be used to define novel events in that initiate vessel regression.