Vision impairment is a major health challenge worldwide, and our project seeks to uncover the molecular andmetabolic mechanisms that could unlock the regenerative capacity of the human retina.
While zebrafish cannaturally regenerate their retinas through Müller glia reprogramming, mammals lack this ability, leaving diseasessuch as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy without regenerative treatments. Building onour findings that metabolic reprogramming drives tissue repair, we will investigate how protein lactylation and O-GlcNAcylation regulate Müller glia dedifferentiation during zebrafish retina regeneration, and test whether similarmechanisms can be activated in human retinal organoids.
By combining these complementary systems, the project aims to reveal conserved metabolic adaptations acrossspecies and pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to restore vision and counteract retinal diseases.