Muller glia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Müller glia, or Müller cells, are glia found in the vertebrate retina, which normally serve the functions of any normal glial cells. However, following injury to the retina, it has been seen that Müller glia actually de-differentiate into a neural progenitor. At this point it can act as a stem cell and differentiate into different retinal neurons, including photoreceptors that may have been damaged during injury.

[edit] Research Potential

Müller glia are currently being studied in labs all over the United States as they are involved in neural regeneration, a phenomenon that does not occur in humans. Published papers have studied Müller glia in both zebrafish^[1] and chicken^[2] retina, and further research could help towards solutions for the blind or visually impaired.

[edit] External links

• Müller cells
• The Muller (glial) cell in normal and diseased retina: a case for single-cell electrophysiology.

[edit] References