Jenna Dang
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Thanh Hoang
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Ophthalmology and CDB / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Jenna Dang, Madelyn Chong, Thanh Hoang, Zachary Flickinger
Session: Session 6: 3:40 pm – 4:30 pm
Poster: 96
Abstract
The irreversible loss of retinal neurons underlies the pathology of many blinding diseases, such as macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma. Therefore, effective cell-based therapies that can replenish these cells via cell transplantation or endogenous reprogramming are urgently needed. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to gain a full understanding of the gene regulatory networks and mechanisms that control the formation of different neuronal cell types. However, the molecular mechanisms that control this process remain largely unclear. Our recent comprehensive analysis of gene expression in mouse and human retinal progenitors has identified multiple transcription factors that may control the transition of retinal progenitor states and neurogenesis. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of not-yet-characterized transcription factors Scrt1, Scrt2, Bcl11a, and Bcl11b in retinal cell development. Each gene was conditionally knocked out during early mouse retinal development. At different stages of mice development, the retinas are collected, sectioned, and stained with various cell type-specific antibodies. The different retinal neuron markers will be then quantified to examine the potential effect of each knockout mouse. Based on their expression pattern, we predict that each gene will play a role in the development of different retinal cell subtypes. These data will enhance our current understanding of how different retinal cell types are produced, as well as help guide cell-based therapies aimed at replacing retinal neurons lost to retinal degenerative disease via cell transplantation or endogenous reprogramming.
