CAN GENE THERAPY EXPAND SENSORY CAPACITY IN THE ADULT?

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 该项目的长期目标是通过增加新的感觉输入来研究成年哺乳动物视觉系统的神经可塑性。增强而不是削弱感官输入的实验为回答有关成人视觉系统可塑性的基本问题提供了一条新的研究途径，并对基因治疗视网膜假体的合理设计具有重要意义。我们选择红绿色觉作为一个模型系统，在这个系统中，可以使用视网膜电信号在视网膜水平上定量监测功能获得，并通过色觉行为测试在视觉皮质水平上进行定量监测。这个项目的实验旨在确定通过病毒介导的光色素基因传递到视网膜的第三种锥体类型是否可以扩大他/她的感官能力，并将颜色视觉行为从二色改变为三色。目前，在2009年4月移居华盛顿之前，在威斯康星州医学院接受视网膜下注射并使用视网膜电图仪进行测试的动物正在接受颜色视觉的日常行为测试。此外，未经处理的对照动物也在接受颜色视觉的日常行为测试。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The long term goals of this project are to study neural plasticity of the adult mammalian visual system by adding new sensory input. Experiments that enhance rather than ablate sensory input offer a new avenue of research for answering fundamental questions about the plasticity of the adult visual system and have important implications for the rational design of gene therapy retinal prostheses. We have chosen red-green color vision as a model system in which gain of function can be monitored quantitatively at the level of the retina using the electroretinogram and at the level of the visual cortex with behavioral tests of color vision. Experiments for this project are designed to determine whether adding a third cone type via viral mediated delivery of a photopigment gene to the retina in a dichromatic adult squirrel monkey can expand his/her sensory capacity and change color vision behavior from dichromatic to trichromatic. Currently, animals that received subretinal injections and were tested using the electroretinogram at the Medical College of Wisconsin before moving to Washington in April of 2009 are undergoing daily behavioral tests of color vision. In addition, untreated control animals are also undergoing daily behavioral tests of color vision.