Attempts to acquire the regenerative ability by use of epigenetic regulation in the damaged mouse retina

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26462699
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Women's Medical University
• Principal Investigator: SUDOU Norihiro 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (80646216)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 再生 / 網膜 / エピジェネティクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study is to regenerate the retina after injury. Although genes involved in eye development very similar to those of other animals, the regenerative ability of retina differs between mammal and fish. We guessed that one of the cause of inability to regenerate is epigenetic modification that regulate genes expression. We found that immature retina has the regenerative ability of retina after the damage and also found this ability is gradually lost until the retinal maturation. Furthermore, we elucidated that genes of mature Müller cells that is the soure of retinal regeneration were strongly repressed by epigenetic modification. Our results indicated the possibility that this repression will be removed.

Free Research Field

再生