Project description:Experimental ocular hypertension (IOP) induces senescence of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that mimicks events occurring in human glaucoma. An established transgenic p16-3MR mouse model in which the systemic administration of the small molecule ganciclovir (GCV) selectively kills p16INK4a-expressing cells was used to compare transcriptomes of retinas from IOP and control eyes in GCV-treated and non-treated mice, to investigate how experimental removal of senescent p16INK4a-positive cells impacts retinal cells in conditions resembling glaucoma.
Project description:Dogs frequently develop glaucoma, a disease that leads to vision loss due to loss of retinal ganglion cells and degeneration of axons within the optic nerve. We used Affymetrix Gene chips to characterize transcriptional changes between healthy and glaucomatous retinas. These data describe gene expression changes in the canine retina with glaucoma. RNA was isolated from the retinas of 5 dogs with advanced glaucoma and from 5 normal individuals.
Project description:Our research focus is to study the genetic etiology and molecular mechanisms of glaucoma, a disease characterized by death of the retinal ganglion cell. The QNR/D cells, the only well validated retinal ganglion cell line, are derived from the neuroretina of quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) embryos at 7 days gestation, and contain RGC (80%) and amacrine cell (20%) populations. With the aim of investigating the effect of candidate gene on glaucoma, the QNR/D cells were transfected in four different conditions. The RNA-Sequencing analysis on these transfected cell lines to identify the related proteins with differential expression profiles.
