Unexpected findings about development of nervous system



Veröffentlicht am:

20.10.2006





Veröffentlicht von:

Anneli Waara, Uppsala University, email anneli.waara@...
<http://idw-online.de/pages/de/institution732> Schwedischer Forschungsrat -
The Swedish Research Council





Kategorie:

überregional
Forschungsergebnisse
Medizin und Gesundheitswissenschaften

Druckansicht <http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news?print=1&id=180825>

In his dissertation work, Per-Henrik Edqvist at Uppsala University in Sweden
has characterized the molecular development of the retina in the eye with
the aim of understanding how the nervous system develops. He has attained
several unexpected results that may be of importance to the future treatment
of damage to the nervous system.

The retina of the eye, which is part of the central nervous system, is where
visual impressions take their initial shape. The retina consists of
photoreceptors and several different specialized nerve cells that use
various networks to coordinate impressions from the light-sensitive
photoreceptors before the information is relayed to the brain.

Per-Henrik Edqvist has studied how the retina's complex structure of
specialized cells is formed from a small number of retina stem cells during
the fetal development of chickens. Above all, he has examined how one of the
retina's specialized cell types, so-called horizontal cells, are formed and
reach maturity. Their task is to receive and integrate information from a
large number of photoreceptors, and there are at least two functionally
different types.

"We have characterized the molecular development of these different
horizontal cell types in order to better understand how the nervous system
is formed," explains Per-Henrik Edqvist.

He shows that the different types take on their determined role at a very
early stage in development, which conflicts with certain conventional models
of the development of the retina. What's more, they do not develop
simultaneously but rather one after the other, and in their development they
undergo a highly unexpected cell migration from their birth site to their
ultimate position in the retina.

"The fact that they migrate at different times toward or away from signals
that can influence their continued development may be the mechanism that
governs them in different developmental directions," says Per-Henrik
Edqvist.

The dissertation enhances our knowledge of how the central nervous system is
formed during fetal development, and thereby our understanding of how
disturbances of the brain and ocular system can occur and be prevented.

"By understanding these mechanisms, we hope some day to be able to use stem
cells to create spare parts that can replace damaged or dead nerve cells in
the retina."

For more information, please contact Per-Henrik Edqvist, phone: +46 18-471
49 42; cell phone: 046 70-615 93 25; or e-mail:
Per-Henrik.Edqvist@....



URL dieser Pressemitteilung: http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news180825



Source: http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news180825







Markus Georg

Am Reuterberg 26

35745 Herborn

Tel.: 02772 / 570 576

Email: <mailto:vorstand@...>
vorstand@...

www.pro-retina.org





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]