Use in Research
Müller glia are currently being studied for their role in neural regeneration, a phenomenon that is not known to occur in humans. Studies to this end of Müller glia in both the zebrafish and chicken retina have been performed, with the exact molecular mechanism of regeneration remaining unclear. Further studies performed in mice have shown that Müller glia begin to dedifferentiate and exhibit cell cycle markers, yet do not complete mitosis, which implies there is a block of the regeneration process that is unique to mammals. Studies in human models have demonstrated that Müller glia have the potential to serve as stem cells in the adult retina and are efficient rod photoreceptor progenitors.
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“If politics is the art of the possible, research is surely the art of the soluble. Both are immensely practical-minded affairs.”
—Peter B. Medawar (1915–1987)