Endogenous Cell Sources for Eye Retina Regeneration in Vertebrate Animals and Humans

Abstract

A number of retinal diseases are known to result in impaired vision and even blindness. In this regard, the major issue that modern biology faces nowadays is to identify endogenous populations of cells that could be a potential source of retinal regeneration and provide their detailed description using advanced methods and various animal models. This will allow for finding the ways to control the behavior and regenerative activity of these cells in order to replace damaged retinal neurons, particularly photoreceptors, either by involving natural mechanisms or via cell transplantation. In this review, the latest data published in literature and results of the authors’ own research on localization, biology, and molecular genetic features of cell sources for retinal regeneration, obtained for all classes of vertebrates, from fish to mammals, are summarized. In the range of these cell populations existing in vertebrates, certain versatility in terms of gene expression has been found. A variety of ways for their mobilization for regeneration of the damaged retinal tissue in different animal classes and species have also been well documented.