2023-11-30 19:00:03
The loss of neurons in the retina due to injury or disease leads to vision loss or blindness, an irreversible process in humans. So far, efforts to reverse this situation have been unsuccessful. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Washington (USA) propose an innovative way.
As described in a study published in the journal ‘Stem Cell Reports‘Some animals, such as fish, have the innate ability to regenerate retinal neurons by converting another type of retinal cell called «Müller glia» in neurons. This conversion does not occur spontaneously in humans and other mammals, but in this new research by Thomas Reh and Juliette Wohlschlegel, it shows that human Müller glia can be ‘persuaded’ to change identity in the laboratory, which could be a source potential of new neurons to treat vision loss.
“Our study provides proof of principle that human glia can be reprogrammed into cells capable of generating new neurons,” says Thomas Reh. «This opens a whole new path to repairing the retina in people who have lost neurons due to disease or trauma.».
Müller glia are support cells in the retina that help photoreceptor cells and other retinal neurons function properly. In some species such as fish and birds, the Müller glia They become immature retinal cells after injury and generate new retinal neurons later.
In contrast, Müller glia in the mammalian retina react to injury with scar formation and inflammation without generating new neurons. This behavioral difference is based on the activation of different genetic programs in Müller glia of fish compared to those of mammals after injury.
But, according to the researchers, artificial activation of a fish-like genetic program can convert mouse Müller glia into retinal neurons according to previous research.
However, until now, it was not known whether the same strategy could be used to convert human Müller glia into neurons.
Genetic programs
To answer this question, the researchers genetically modified human Müller glia in the laboratory to activate specific genetic programs in neurons, as occurs naturally in fish.
In fact, within a week, the genetically modified cells adopted neuron-like characteristics, resembling those of immature retinal neurons.
These findings suggest that human Müller glia may be persuaded to become neurons and may serve as a source to generate new neurons in patients’ retinas in the future.
It is worth noting that the Müller glia in this study were derived from immature Müller glia and it remains to be seen whether and how effectively similar approaches can transform adult human Müller glia into neurons.
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