About Database - An Introduction of Lens Regeneration

This database provides experimental information of 183 factors affecting lens regeneration process. Lens regeneration allows scientists to use the natural regenerative response of the lens to benefit present and future cataract treatments. It will be an important contribution to regenerative medicine and stem cell technologies.

Acknowledgement Dr. Brian, University of Newfoundland for above image. Above Images showing Regeneration process of lens. Amphibians and mammals have great capacity for regeneration (i.e. regeneration of lens from iris epithelium). After the removal of lens (Process called lentectomy. The Iris cells differentiated to form new lens. This process involves participation of many Genes and Proteins at Molecular level.




Database content

The database contains information on over 183 various factors affecting lens regenration in various organism, including gene, protein, m-RNA, chemical compounds. The Database entries contain their GeneID, Gene name, Swiss prot protein entry, Protein, Gene link, mRNA and literature citation.


History and Background

Lens Regeneration involves cell proliferation, cell movements, morphogenesis, histogenesis and growth, which occur during ontogenetic development in the embryonic or larval stages. Colucci (1891) had first described lens regeneration from the dorsal iris, The regeneration of lens tissue from the iris also called Wolffian regeneration(1894).

Lens regeneration takes place by the transdifferentiation of the pigment epithelial cells of the iris. These cells can reprogram: proliferate,dedifferentiate and differentiate into lens cells that make up the mature lens.In amphibians lens regeneration has been reviewed by Reyer (1954,1966); Freeman (1963); Scheib (1965); Reese et al. (1969); Reyer et al.(1973); Yamada et al.(1973, 1978); Yamada and McDevitt (1984); Eguchi (1988); Eguchi and Itoh (1982); Jangir et al.(1997 and 2004);Shekhawatet al.(2001)It has been reported that lens regeneration occurs from dorsal iris and not from the ventral iris.Tsonis et al.(1999)