Abstract
Over the past two decades, progress in our understanding of glial function has been revolutionary. Within the retina, a subset of glial cells termed the “Müller glia (MG),” have been demonstrated to play key roles in retinal homeostasis, structure and metabolism. Additionally, MG have also been shown to possess the regenerative capacity that varies across species. In teleost fish, MG respond to injury by reprogramming into stem-like cells capable of regenerating lost tissue. The expression of stem/progenitor cell markers has been demonstrated broadly in mammalian MG, including human MG, but their in vivo regenerative capacity appears evolutionarily limited. Advances in stem cell therapy have progressively elucidated critical mechanisms underlying innate MG reprogramming in teleost fish, which have shown promising results when applied to rodents. Furthermore, when cultured ex vivo, MG from mammals can differentiate into several retina cell types. In this review, we will explore the reparative and regenerative potential of MG in cellular therapy approaches, and outline our current understanding of embryonic retinal development, the stem-cell potential of MG in adult vertebrate retina (including human), and microenvironmental cues that guide MG reprogramming.
Highlights
From Adult Müller Glia for the Treatment of RetinalOver the past two decades, progress in our understanding of glial function has been revolutionary
Retinal degenerative disease is the leading cause of irreversible blindness
There is a significant degree of genetic diversity in Inherited retinal disease (IRD), with more than 300 genes implicated to date: testing in specialized clinics can elucidate the genotype in only about 70% of cases (Moore, 2017)
Summary
Over the past two decades, progress in our understanding of glial function has been revolutionary. A subset of glial cells termed the “Müller glia (MG),” have been demonstrated to play key roles in retinal homeostasis, structure and metabolism. MG respond to injury by reprogramming into stemlike cells capable of regenerating lost tissue. The expression of stem/progenitor cell markers has been demonstrated broadly in mammalian MG, including human MG, but their in vivo regenerative capacity appears evolutionarily limited. Advances in stem cell therapy have progressively elucidated critical mechanisms underlying innate MG reprogramming in teleost fish, which have shown promising results when applied to rodents. We will explore the reparative and regenerative potential of MG in cellular therapy approaches, and outline our current understanding of embryonic retinal development, the stem-cell potential of MG in adult vertebrate retina (including human), and microenvironmental cues that guide MG reprogramming
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have