Nature Neuroscience
4, 1163 - 1164 (2001)
Published online: 12 November 2001; | doi:10.1038/nn762
Induction of photoreceptor-specific phenotypes in adult mammalian iris tissueMasatoshi Haruta1, Mitsuko Kosaka2, Yumi Kanegae3, Izumu Saito3, Tomoyuki Inoue4, Ryoichiro Kageyama4, Akihiro Nishida1, Yoshihito Honda1
& Masayo Takahashi11
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
2
Japan Science and Technology Corporation/TOREST, Okayama Technology Center, 5301 Haga, Okayama 701-1221, Japan
3
Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
4
Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
Correspondence should be addressed to Masayo Takahashi masataka@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jpWe show that iris tissue in the adult rat eye, which is embryonically related to the neural retina, can generate cells expressing differentiated neuronal antigens. In addition, the Crx gene transfer induced the specific antigens for rod photoreceptors in the iris-derived cells, which was not seen in the adult hippocampus-derived neural stem cells. Our findings demonstrate a remarkable plasticity of adult iris tissue with potential clinical applications, as autologous iris tissue can be feasibly obtained with peripheral iridectomy.
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