Grant: Operating Grant

The retina is a paper-thin complex neurosensory structure that lines the inside of the eye and similar to a digital camera, captures and processes visual information. During embryonic development, a pool of stem cell-like cells known as retinal progenitor cells gives rise to the 5 distinct neuronal classes that comprise 55 distinct retinal subtypes. How these cells are generated represents a major goal of our research. We are specifically interested in understanding the genes that regulate different steps in this process. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie retinal development will provide knowledge that is necessary for approaches aimed at treating diseases of the retina. For example, the potential use of stem cell therapy approaches to treat retinal degenerative diseases requires an understanding of how retinal progenitor cells are regulated and how they are instructed to become different retinal cell types. The impact of our work extends beyond the retina because most of the genes we are studying are expressed in other parts of the nervous system. The knowledge that we gain from our work on the retina may therefore help in our understanding and treatment of diseases outside of the retina.