Interleukin-34 and debris clearance by mononuclear phagocytes drive retinal pigment epithelium regeneration in zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) surrounds the posterior eye and maintains the health and function of the photoreceptors. Consequently, RPE dysfunction or damage has a devastating impact on vision. Due to complex etiologies, there are currently no cures for patients with RPE degenerative diseases, which remain some of the most prevalent causes of vision loss worldwide. Further, owing to a limited capacity for mammalian tissue repair, we know little about how the RPE regenerates. Here, we utilize zebrafish as a model to uncover novel mechanisms driving intrinsic RPE regeneration. We show that interleukin-34 signaling from damaged RPE is required for precisely timed recruitment of mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs) to the injury site. Additionally, we find that cellular debris clearance by MN

SUBMITTER: Leach LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11761032 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature