Repair of the Traumatically Injured Central Visual System by Interneuron Transplantation
Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries affect two million Americans each year and cause cell death and inflammation in the brain. People who experience a head injury often suffer from lifelong vision loss, including many Service Members and Veterans. Here, we propose studies to restore vision following war-related traumatic brain injury using a cell therapy approach. We plan to transplant embryonic progenitor cells capable of generating inhibitory interneurons, a specific type of nerve cell that controls the activity of brain circuits, into the brains of mice with traumatic brain injury. Our focus on regenerating inhibitory interneurons is based on findings from our lab and others that these cells play important roles in visual circuit function, but they are particularly vulnerable to dying after traumatic brain injury. In our study, progenitor cells will be implanted into the injured visual cortex, the primary vision center of the brain. First, we will evaluate how these new neurons migrate into the injury and how they form connections and communicate with injured brain cells. Then, we will test whether cell grafts improve vision in the brain-injured animals. We will also test whether the new neurons correct the way the injured neurons process visual information. If successful, our studies will provide an entirely new approach for treating vision dysfunction. The next steps would involve manufacturing the same type of inhibitory cells from human pluripotent stem cells. As such, these results will bring us closer to our ultimate goal of implementing a clinical cell therapy for the thousands of Service Members, Veterans, and members of the American public who live with permanent vision impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110884
Entities
People
- Robert F Hunt
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of California, Irvine