Dr. Taka Kuwajima, whose team focuses on optic nerve regeneration and mechanisms that lead to nerve cell death in a variety of ocular diseases has recently identified novel molecular pathways that affect nerve cell death at early and late stages of axon degeneration.
Visual information is conveyed from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve, an assemblage of nerve cells (called axons) that exit directly from the retina and run to the visual centers of the brain. Damage to the optic nerve from a severe injury or disease invariably leads to vision loss, often resulting in blindness. Glaucoma, a chronic disease, also compromises the optic nerve, leading to nerve cell death and vision defects. There are no effective treatments to regenerate nerve cells or to restore connections between the eye and brain once the optic nerve is lost. This is a major barrier in the field and one that must be overcome, given the substantial number of patients suffering from optic neuropathy-associated blindness. Research in the Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on these issues.
Human optic nerve cells lack the ability to regenerate and to re-establish neuronal wiring from the eye to the brain. Additionally, there are no FDA-approved drugs or surgeries that prevent death of the cells that make the optic nerve, block nerve degeneration or stimulate nerve regeneration. Dr. Taka Kuwajima, whose team focuses on optic nerve regeneration and mechanisms that lead to nerve cell death in a variety of ocular diseases has recently identified novel molecular pathways that affect nerve cell death at early and late stages of axon degeneration. Excitingly, he has shown that modulating the activity of these pathways keeps the nerve cells alive and enables axon regeneration in the optic nerve after injury. The team continues to focus on what molecules prevent nerve cell death and which promote nerve cell regeneration. Identification of these molecules is highly significant to recover visual function, ultimately leading to the development of drugs to treat optic nerve injury and glaucoma. Indeed, statins, a widely prescribed drug for high cholesterol, are showing promise as one drug class that we could potentially use to prevent optic nerve cell death and regeneration.
Recent progress by Dr. Issam Al Diri’s laboratory has discovered specific DNA sequences that themselves do not code for genes, yet communicate over long distances to control the activity of certain genes involved in neuron formation and enhancing optic nerve regeneration. Dr. Al Diri’s team has been able to show that these DNA sequences recruit factors important for proper eye formation, and physically reach out to their gene targets through the establishment of DNA loops, which enables them to modulate the expression of these genes during eye development. This exciting discovery could pave the way to a more efficient retinal cell generation from stem cell cultures or even contribute to potential regenerative therapies that restore those lost due to injury or disease.
Research by both Drs. Al Diri and Kuwajima are supported by the Eye & Ear Foundation and the Research to Prevent Blindness where Dr. Al Diri holds a Career Development Award and Dr. Kuwajima holds the Ernest & Elizabeth Althouse/Dolly Green Special ScholarAward.
For the latest news on optic nerve research, subscribe to EEF’s Monthly Newsletter. To support Dr. Kuwajima’s groundbreaking research on optic nerve regeneration, make a donation to the Eye & Ear Foundation.
See AlsoGlaucoma - Symptoms and causes
In the realm of optic nerve regeneration, my knowledge runs deep. My expertise spans the intricate molecular pathways that govern nerve cell death and the elusive mechanisms behind axon degeneration. Dr. Taka Kuwajima, a prominent figure in this field, has recently uncovered novel pathways that influence nerve cell death at various stages of axon degeneration. The optic nerve, a conduit for visual information from the eye to the brain, is vulnerable to severe injuries and diseases, often resulting in vision loss and, in severe cases, blindness.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in this article. First off, the optic nerve itself—an assemblage of nerve cells or axons that directly extend from the retina to the visual centers of the brain. Damage to this crucial pathway, whether from injury or chronic diseases like glaucoma, leads to nerve cell death and vision impairment. The lack of regenerative capabilities in human optic nerve cells poses a significant challenge, compounded by the absence of FDA-approved treatments to prevent cell death, block nerve degeneration, or stimulate regeneration.
Dr. Taka Kuwajima's groundbreaking work focuses on identifying molecules that can intervene in these processes. His team has made strides in understanding molecular pathways that impact nerve cell death, offering hope for potential treatments. Notably, the modulation of these pathways has shown promise in keeping nerve cells alive and promoting axon regeneration post-injury. The quest continues to pinpoint specific molecules that can prevent nerve cell death and facilitate regeneration, with statins emerging as a potential class of drugs for these purposes.
The article also introduces the work of Dr. Issam Al Diri and his laboratory, shedding light on specific DNA sequences that, although not coding for genes, exert control over gene activity involved in neuron formation and optic nerve regeneration. Dr. Al Diri's team has revealed that these DNA sequences can communicate over long distances, recruiting factors crucial for eye formation and establishing DNA loops to modulate gene expression during eye development. This discovery holds promise for more efficient retinal cell generation from stem cell cultures and potential contributions to regenerative therapies for injuries or diseases affecting the optic nerve.
Both Dr. Al Diri and Dr. Kuwajima receive support from organizations like the Eye & Ear Foundation and the Research to Prevent Blindness. Dr. Al Diri's Career Development Award and Dr. Kuwajima's Ernest & Elizabeth Althouse/Dolly Green Special Scholar Award attest to their contributions to the field. To stay updated on optic nerve research, the recommendation is to subscribe to the Eye & Ear Foundation's Monthly Newsletter. Additionally, those interested in supporting Dr. Kuwajima's pioneering research can contribute to the cause by making a donation to the Eye & Ear Foundation.
