Source: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Posted: May 15, 2006
Summary:
CHAPEL HILL – Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have demonstrated that normal development of the eye requires the right amount of a neural stem cell gene be expressed at the right time and place.
In the developing eye, retinal neural stem cells differentiate to form the neurons of the adult eye and form the optic nerve.
Researchers discovered that expression levels of a particular neural stem cell gene are a critical factor that regulates the differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells in the eye.
The investigators discovered that, in mice, disruption of the gene in neural retinal stem cells leads to a kind of abnormal development of the eye called microphtalmia, or small eye. Approximately 10 percent of all human cases of microphtalmia result from mutations in the SOX2 gene.
Commentary: Hopefully this research will provide new insights and strategies into stem cell applications to treat eye diseases.
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