Harvard Scientists Reverse Age-Related Vision Loss
Groundbreaking research from Harvard Medical School indicates that vision loss caused by optic nerve damage, glaucoma, and aging may not only be halted but potentially reversed.
Striatech Journal Club is proud to host Dr. Bruce R. Ksander from Schepens Eye Institute of Mass Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology, for an in-depth discussion on how epigenetic reprogramming can rejuvenate retinal ganglion cells (RGCs).
This essential event for vision scientists and retinal disease specialists will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
Journal Club: Aging and Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells Can Be Rejuvenated by Epigenetic Reprogramming
📆 Thursday, February 27, 2025
07:00 a.m. (US West Coast)
10:00 a.m. (US East Coast)
15:00 (UTC)
16:00 (Germany)
23:00 (Beijing, Perth)
24:00 (Seoul, Tokyo)
02:00 (Feb 28) (Sydney)
Is it Possible to Reverse Aging?
Is it possible to reverse the aging process? Researchers from Harvard Medical School have shown that vision loss caused by various factors, including optic nerve injury, glaucoma, and natural aging, can potentially be reversed. In their groundbreaking study, Dr. Bruce R. Ksander and his team demonstrated that in vivo epigenetic reprogramming utilising three of the four Yamanaka Factors – Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 (OSK) – restored the epigenetic age of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in aged mice, as confirmed by transcriptome and DNA methylome analyses.
This remarkable breakthrough led to significant enhancements in visual physiology, as measured by pattern electroretinogram (pERG), and an improvement in visual acuity, assessed by optomotor reflex (OMR). Furthermore, OSK-mediated epigenetic reprogramming facilitated axon regeneration after an optic nerve crush injury and enhanced visual function, as evidenced by pERG and OMR in mice with microbead-induced glaucoma (Lu, et al, Nature, 2020).
This pivotal data suggests that the DNA methylation clock is not merely an indicator of aging, but a key regulator of the aging process itself. It also supports the notion that aged tissues preserve an underlying record of youthful epigenetic information, which can be accessed to restore tissue function and even achieve age reversal.
Journal Club: Aging and Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells Can Be Rejuvenated by Epigenetic Reprogramming
Key Topics & Objectives
- The epigenetic clock
- Epigenetic reprogramming
- Pattern electroretinogram (pERG)
- Optomotor reflex (OMR)
- Transcriptome and methylome analyses
- Gaining insights into the epigenetic clock and its role in aging
- Understanding in vivo epigenetic reprogramming as a potential therapeutic strategy
- Exploring the mechanisms behind cellular rejuvenation and neuroprotection
Background Reading
-
Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision.
Lu Y, Brommer B, Tian X, et al. Nature. 2020 Dec;588(7836):124-129.
doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2975-4. -
The Information Theory of Aging.
Lu YR, Tian X, Sinclair DA. Nat Aging. 2023 Dec;3(12):1486-1499.
doi:10.1038/s43587-023-00527-6. -
Mechanisms, pathways and strategies for rejuvenation through epigenetic reprogramming.
Cipriano A, Moqri M, Maybury-Lewis SY, et al. Nat Aging. 2024 Jan;4(1):14-26.
doi:10.1038/s43587-023-00562-3. -
The long and winding road of reprogramming-induced rejuvenation.
Yücel AD, Gladyshev VN. Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 2;15(1):1941.
doi:10.1038/s41467-024-46020-5.
About the Speaker
Dr. Bruce R. Ksander, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Schepens Eye Institute of Mass Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology
Dr. Ksander obtained his Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Illinois and pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Miami Medical School and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. With over three decades of experience, his research at Harvard Medical School has focused on cellular rejuvenation of the retina and cornea, paving the way for innovative vision restoration therapies.
Don’t Miss This Inspiring and Insightful Live Webinar! Register Now!
Learn more about Striatech
