A challenge to induce retinal regeneration by gene transfection

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K20951
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ophthalmology; General medical chemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Baba Yukihiro 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 特任研究員 (40581418)
• Research Collaborator: Watanabe Sumiko 東京大学, 医科学研究所・再生基礎医科学寄付研究部門, 特任教授 (60240735)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 網膜再生 / 細胞増殖 / 遺伝子導入 / 転写因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lower vertebrate can restore the vision by inducing retinal regeneration after severe retinal damage. However, adult mammalian retina is incapable of regeneration in retinal dysfunctions, which results in retinal degeneration and permanent vision loss. There is currently no treatment for total blindness.
For the cure of impaired vision in human disease, we have tried to apply a principle of zebrafish retinal regeneration or retinal development to mouse retina by overexpression of transcription factors. After screening of transcription factors, we found that Ascl1-NICD3 cotransfection induced cell proliferation of Muller glia but no neuronal differentiation two weeks after gene overexpression. In the differentiation assay, we have searched a sufficient factor for neuronal cell differentiation of Ascl1-NICD3 cotransfected cells. We found long axon bearing cells and the expression of neuronal markers in some combinations.

Free Research Field

網膜再生