Generating Retinal Cells from Stem Cells How do a couple of universally expressed proteins in stem cells and developing embryos influence an individual cell’s ultimate fate—whether it becomes, for example, a retinal cell, a heart muscle cell or a stomach lining cell?
time turn off genes that coax stem cells to become other non-
That’s the question that Rajesh C. Rao, M.D., and his
colleagues at the University of Michigan will set out to answer
retinal cells.
in a $2M, 5-year R01 grant from the NIH.
become retinal cells,” says Dr. Rao. “This will have implications
Their grant will explore a signaling pathway they recently
“This work will help us better understand how stem cells
discovered that involves WDR5, MAX, and p53 (proteins that
in more efficiently generating retinal cells from stem cells for
help turn genes on and off). These proteins control how stem
uses in cell transplants in age-related macular degeneration and
cells turn on genes to become retinal cells while at the same
other diseases in which their own retinal cells die.”
NIH R0-1 GRANTS
need for therapies that improve photoreceptor survival and ultimately, vision.
Disruption of nutrient availability and regulation of cell
metabolism is thought to be a unifying mechanism in photoreceptor death. To this end, improving the understanding of metabolism in retinal cells and how it is altered in disease was recently identified as a specific knowledge gap in the field of retinal degenerations. The proposed research will interpret the complex interplay between photoreceptor metabolism and oxidative stress, and how they intersect to affect photoreceptor survival.
To conduct his research, Dr. Wubben will utilize the
resources, mentoring, and internationally recognized expertise
Photoreceptor Survival
in metabolism and metabolomics at the University of Michigan. His primary mentor is Charles Burant, M.D., Ph.D., the Director of the Michigan Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics
A K08 grant has been awarded to Thomas Wubben, M.D.,
Resource Core (MRC2) and A. Alfred Taubman Medical
Ph.D., for research focused on the retina’s photoreceptors, which
Research Institute at Michigan Medicine, due to his expertise
change light into a series of biological processes the brain can
in metabolomics. He will be co-mentored by Santiago Schnell,
then process as an image. Photoreceptor death is the ultimate
DPhil (Oxon), F.R.S.C., the chair of the Department of Molecular
cause of vision loss in many retinal disorders, including inherited
& Integrative Physiology, who is an internationally renowned the-
retinal degenerations, retinal detachment, and dry age-related
oretical and mathematical biologist. In addition, Dr. Wubben’s
macular degeneration. No successful treatment options currently
advisory committee includes cancer biologist Costas Lyssiotis,
exist to prevent photoreceptor loss, so there is an urgent unmet
Ph.D., and vitreoretinal specialist Cagri Besirli, M.D., Ph.D.
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