CAN GENE THERAPY EXPAND SENSORY CAPACITY IN THE ADULT?

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 本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。 增强而不是消融感觉输入的实验为回答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。 我们选择了红-绿色觉作为模型系统，在该模型系统中，可以使用视网膜电图在视网膜水平上和使用色觉的行为测试在视觉皮层水平上定量地监测功能的获得。 该项目的实验旨在确定通过病毒介导的将色素基因递送到二色视成年松鼠猴的视网膜中来添加第三种视锥类型是否可以扩展他/她的感觉能力并将色觉行为从二色视改变为三色视。 目前，在2009年4月搬到华盛顿之前，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进行测试的动物正在接受色觉的日常行为测试。 此外，未处理的对照动物也接受色觉的日常行为测试。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. 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.