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Free Event
This week's Biology Seminar
University of Toronto, Krembil Research Institute
“Material exchange between donor and host photoreceptors: A new way of thinking about retinal cell transplantation”
Student Lunch: Email Kristy Gonyer at gonyerk@reed.edu if you would like to go to lunch with Dr. Wallace on Friday at noon.
Abstract: The prospect of replacing cells of the central nervous system by cell transplantation remains a focal point of vision repair science. Rods and cones, the cells of the retina that mediate light detection, can be enriched and transplanted into wildtype and retinal degeneration mouse models. We and others recently discovered that in contrast to the historical interpretation that transplanted cells migrate into recipient tissue, donor and host cells participate in fluorescent reporter and photoreceptor material exchange. The result of this material exchange is the appearance of donor cell-derived fluorescent reporter (I.e. GFP) in mature cells in the recipient retina. Identifying the mechanism(s) involved in donor/host material exchange will help us to understand the mechanistic underpinnings of cell-based vision rescue, address safety concerns raised by donor/host intercellular communication, and lead to more general insights into the regulation and function of intercellular material exchange.
