Self-healing retina
Scientists from the University of Washington (University of Washington) for the first time were able to force the cells of the retina of a living mammal to regenerate. So far, the experiment has been put only on mice, now biologists dream of developing success and testing the technique on humans.
The retina of the eye converts light into electrical impulses transmitted to the brain. In order to restore the work of this important organ after any damage, it is necessary to force the differentiation of Muller cells (Muller glia), which are able to "replace" the affected "relatives".
Previously, it was possible to grow Muller cells in the laboratory, but the current achievement gives much greater reasons for joy.
During the experiment, the researchers injected a substance into the retina of laboratory mice that destroyed ganglion and amacrine cells. Then the scientists injected special growth stimulators (epidermis and fibroblasts) and insulin into the eye. Later it turned out that Muller's cells started working again and responded to the therapy by reproduction.
Many cells that developed from them died in the first week, but those that turned into amacrine lasted at least 30 days.
"It's too early to speculate about why everything is happening this way," the researchers write in their article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS). But they immediately add that, perhaps, differentiated cells are helped to survive by the stable connections formed with their neighbors.
Optimism is added by the fact that all vertebrates have Muller cells, respectively, it is possible to launch a similar regeneration process in the human eye.
The head of the study, Thomas Reh, believes that it will be possible to cure diseases such as macular degeneration in a new way.
Read also the university's press release.
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28.11.2008