Prof Astrid Limb
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Potential of Müller glia for developing cell based therapies to treat neural
retina degeneration
5th June, 1pm
June Lloyd Seminar Room (PUW4), ICH
Abstract
Müller glia are responsible for the regenerative ability observed in the zebrafish retina throughout
life. Although Müller glia with stem cell characteristics are also present in the adult human retina,
there is no evidence of spontaneous regeneration occurring in humans. These cells however can be
isolated from normal donor eyes, become spontaneously immortalized, and can be differentiated
into retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and photoreceptors (PR) in vitro. We investigate the potential use
of these cells for developing cell based therapies to treat neural retina degenerations, as well as
molecular and cellular mechanisms that may be potentially targeted in vivo to promote endogenous
retina regeneration without the need for cell transplantation. Data will be presented to show the
ability of human Müller stem cells to partially restore retina function using experimental models of
RGC depletion and of photoreceptor degeneration, as well as data obtained from comparative
proteomics studies which identifies factors that may be potentially targeted to promote endogenous
proliferation and neural differentiation of these cells within the retina.
Short Bio:
Prof Astrid Limb, PhD FRCPath, is a Professor of Retinal Stem Cell Biology and Therapeutics at the
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Her early postdoctoral work at St Thomas’s Hospital in London
highlighted the contribution of pro-inflammatory cytokines to retinal inflammatory diseases. She
joined the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in 1998, where her group was the first to identify the
presence of Müller glia with stem cell characteristics in the adult human eye. Her present research is
focused on the application of Müller stem cells to cell replacement therapies in retinal degenerative
conditions, as well as on the investigation of mechanisms that may promote endogenous
regeneration of the adult human retina.