Mouse Retinas Could Regenerate Once Prox1 Stops Leaking Into Müller Glia

Restoration of Retinal Regenerative Potential

Mammalian retinas don't regenerate, unlike those of fish and amphibians. Researchers found that injured mouse Müller glia accumulate Prox1 not by making it, but by receiving it from neighboring retinal neurons through intercellular protein transfer. Blocking that transfer reprogrammed Müller glia into retinal progenitors, while injecting Prox1 into zebrafish suppressed their regeneration — pointing to a transferable suppressor that could be removed to restore regenerative potential.