The retina is an eye structure that receives light from the environment and converts it to neural signals for the initiation of vision. When a human retina is damaged, a thin cell layer behind the retina – the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) – responds to the injury by creating a scar that results in loss of retinal functionality and vision. Currently, there is no therapy which would allow humans with damaged retinas to regain sight. The North American newt is one model organism capable of regenerating its retina, and it does so by reprogramming its RPE cells so that they create a new retina. A disadvantage of the newt, however, is that its genome has not been fully sequenced. This makes it more difficult to understand the details of how its retina regenerates. The axolotl, known to be capable of regenerating other body parts, is an organism whose entire genome has been sequenced. Recently, our lab has shown that the axolotl is also capable of regenerating its retina, making it an excellent model organism for studying retina regeneration. We now seek to understand if the RPE cells are the source of this regeneration. This will be accomplished by introducing a gene editing technique which will label any present RPE cells and any cells that come from that origin – such as the regenerated retina cells – with a fluorescent red color. Studying the mechanisms behind axolotl retina regeneration, by utilizing its fully sequenced genome, may make it possible to help advance the development of retinal repair therapies in humans.
Author: Nathan Corbissero
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Katia Del Rio-Tsonis, Department of Biology