Dedifferentiation and Vision System

Abstract

Based on epidemiology evidence, diseases of the cornea, lens, and retina are the three areas with high incidence among the ophthalmological diseases. The eyes are the window of one’s heart, but it is one of the few organs with little cell renewal or regenerative capacity. Owing to exposure to external environment and the pivotal role in vision imaging system, the cornea is the only place where residing cells could maintain integrity and function during the lifetime. The cornea would even restore its function within 24 h against some minor damages or disorders. However, other parts of the eye seldom show any regenerative or self-renewal capacity. The sensitivity of the retina and plasticity of the lens would decline with aging. Cell-based repair and regeneration have been investigated on the lens and retina. The author puts emphasis on the role of cell dedifferentiation in retina and lens regeneration. For the retina, two kinds of cell-based regeneration were described, namely, retina pigment epithelial cell-dependent way and Muller glia-dependent way. As for the lens regeneration, the author enumerates animal models, signal pathways, transcription factors, and several other aspects. Molecular mechanisms account for the largest proportion in both retina and lens regeneration.