Grant: Operating Grant

Permanent vision loss caused by damage or degeneration of the retina is a severely debilitating condition, and its burden on both society and the health care industry will only increase as the average world population continues to age. We have characterized a stem cell population within the adult mammalian eye (including the eyes of humans) that shows fantastic potential for the treatment of these conditions. These adult retinal stem cells have the capacity generate new photoreceptors, the light-sensing cells of the retina, and therefore could be used to replace those cells lost due to retinal disease or injury. The present proposal builds upon our current understanding of these cells in order to improve their ability to successfully treat a variety of forms of vision loss. We will be approaching this problem from two distinct directions, both by investigating ways of activating the stem cells already present within the eye (thus minimizing the need for invasive surgery) and in a more classical cell culture and transplantation model. By taking both of these approaches, we can improve our understanding of adult retinal stem cell biology from a basic science perspective; while at the same time develop techniques that have significant therapeutic potential.