Grafting retinal and brain derived cells in animal models of retinal degeneration
Michael Young (USA-Boston, Ma)
Assistant Scientist,
Schepens Eye Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
de Gunzburg Director, Minda de Gunzburg Research Center for Retinal Transplantation
Stem cells derived from the central nervous system are a new source for
cells that may someday be used to repair the damaged brain, spinal cord,
and retina. While stem cells offer great opportunities for CNS repair,
there are many questions that must be addressed before they can be used
in a clinical setting. These include an understanding of (and control
over) proliferation, migration, differentiation, and immunogenicity. At
present we know very little about these key factors of stem cell behavior.
I will address the following questions:
1) What controls the
differentiation of stem cells following grafting to sites in the CNS?
-To what extent does the local microenvironment influence the development
of cell phenotype? We compare:
-Immature and mature hosts, diseased and normal hosts
-Brain and retinal microenvironments
-Extraocular and intraocular microenvironments
-Morphological and functional phenotypes
2) Can cells of a specific lineage (e.g. brain stem cells) alter cell fate and differentiate into cell types distinct from their respective lineage?
3) Do stem cells respond
to injury?
-If so, what might these cues be?
4) Are stem cells
an immune privileged tissue?