Bmp7 and glaucoma
Principal Investigator
Project Goals
This study will focus on understanding the role of a growth factor, Bmp7, in both the increased survival of ganglion cells and the disruptive changes the glial cells undergo during glaucoma.
Project Summary
Glaucoma often involves a build up of fluid within the eye that creates pressure on the optic nerve, killing retinal ganglion cells, the cells that communicate with the rest of the brain. There are also disruptive changes to the glial cells in the optic nerve, cells that normally support the ganglion cells. This study will focus on understanding the role of a growth factor, Bmp7, in both the increased survival of ganglion cells and the disruptive changes the glial cells undergo during glaucoma. This may lead to novel glaucoma therapies to save ganglion cells and decrease disruptive changes to the glial cells.
Publications
BMP7 and SHH regulate Pax2 in mouse retinal astrocytes by relieving TLX repression.(2009) Sehgal R, Sheibani N, Rhodes SJ, Belecky Adams TL. Dev Biol. 332(2):429-43. (PMID:19505455)[link not available] The first study to show that the BMP and SHH signaling pathways cooperate in regulating Pax2. This article showed that the two pathways regulate Pax2 expression by a previously undescribed mechanism. Both factors interact with a known repressor TLX repressor complex and decreases binding of the repressor complex with the Pax2 promoter. RNA helicase Ddx39 is expressed in the developing central nervous system, limb, otic vesicle, branchial arches and facial mesenchyme of Xenopus laevis. Wilson JM, Martinez-De Luna RI, El Hodiri HM, Smith R, King MW, Mescher AL, Neff AW, Belecky-Adams TL. Gene Expr Patterns. 2010 Jan;10(1):44-52. (PMID:19900578)[link not available] This study showed the expression patterns of an RNA helicase, DDX39, in the region of the Xenopus laevis retina known as the ciliary marginal zone., as well as several other regions of the Xenopus. The ciliary marginal zone contains stem cells capable of regenerating the entire retina. This is one of the few markers that is expressed only in a subpopulation of retinal stem cells and no other cells within the retina (it is also expressed in several other regions of the Xenopus, including developing and regenerating limb). This manuscript also shows that DDx39 was expressed in regenerating retinal cells.
First published on: June 11, 2008
Last modified on: April 26, 2024