About My Research
Center/Research Area Affiliations
Biography
At Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, Dr. Young studies the repair of the mature, diseased central nervous system. He is specifically interested in the degeneration that occurs in the retina during disease or injury. He is currently studying human retinal stem cells with the goal of transplanting these cells to the diseased eye to establish functional connectivity between donor retinal stem cells and the mature, diseased host retina. His research focuses on gene and protein expression, substrate specific differentiation, and retinal transplantation in mice and pigs.
- Decellularized retinal matrix: Natural platforms for human retinal progenitor cell culture. Acta Biomater. 2016 Feb; 31:61-70.
- Enhanced differentiation and delivery of mouse retinal progenitor cells using a micropatterned biodegradable thin-film polycaprolactone scaffold. Tissue Eng Part A. 2015 Apr; 21(7-8):1247-60.
- Functional and morphological analysis of the subretinal injection of human retinal progenitor cells under Cyclosporin A treatment. Mol Vis. 2014; 20:1271-80.
- Low-oxygen culture conditions extend the multipotent properties of human retinal progenitor cells. Tissue Eng Part A. 2014 May; 20(9-10):1465-75.
- The application of hyaluronic acid hydrogels to retinal progenitor cell transplantation. Tissue Eng Part A. 2013 Jan; 19(1-2):135-42.
- Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Müller Progenitor Cell Interaction Increase Müller Progenitor Cell Expression of PDGFRa and Ability to Induce Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy in a Rabbit Model. Stem Cells Int. 2012; 2012:106486.
- Mouse retinal progenitor cell dynamics on electrospun poly (?-caprolactone). J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. 2012; 23(11):1451-65.
- Advances in Retinal Tissue Engineering. Materials (Basel). 2012 Jan 05; 5(1):108-120.
- Combining chondroitinase ABC and growth factors promotes the integration of murine retinal progenitor cells transplanted into Rho(-/-) mice. Mol Vis. 2011; 17:1759-70.
- Retinal ganglion cells survival in a glaucoma model by GDNF/Vit E PLGA microspheres prepared according to a novel microencapsulation procedure. J Control Release. 2011 Nov 30; 156(1):92-100.
- Transplantation of adult mouse iPS cell-derived photoreceptor precursors restores retinal structure and function in degenerative mice. PLoS One. 2011 Apr 29; 6(4):e18992.
- Robust cell integration from co-transplantation of biodegradable MMP2-PLGA microspheres with retinal progenitor cells. Biomaterials. 2011 Feb; 32(4):1041-50.
- Microfabrication of a three-dimensional polycaprolactone thin-film scaffold for retinal progenitor cell encapsulation. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. 2011; 22(4-6):443-56.
- Sequential changes in the gene expression profile of murine retinal progenitor cells during the induction of differentiation. Mol Vis. 2009 Oct 20; 15:2111-22.
- The use of progenitor cell/biodegradable MMP2-PLGA polymer constructs to enhance cellular integration and retinal repopulation. Biomaterials. 2010 Jan; 31(1):9-19.
- Müller cell activation, proliferation and migration following laser injury. Mol Vis. 2009 Sep 17; 15:1886-96.
- Engineering retinal progenitor cell and scrollable poly(glycerol-sebacate) composites for expansion and subretinal transplantation. Biomaterials. 2009 Jul; 30(20):3405-14.
- Endogenous VEGF is required for visual function: evidence for a survival role on müller cells and photoreceptors. PLoS One. 2008; 3(11):e3554.
- Isolation of progenitor cells from GFP-transgenic pigs and transplantation to the retina of allorecipients. Cloning Stem Cells. 2008 Sep; 10(3):391-402.
- Elevated MMP Expression in the MRL Mouse Retina Creates a Permissive Environment for Retinal Regeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Apr; 49(4):1686-95.
- A microfabricated scaffold for retinal progenitor cell grafting. Biomaterials. 2008 Feb; 29(4):418-26.
- Neural precursors isolated from the developing cat brain show retinal integration following transplantation to the retina of the dystrophic cat. Vet Ophthalmol. 2007 Jul-Aug; 10(4):245-53.
- Creating an immune-privileged site using retinal progenitor cells and biodegradable polymers. Stem Cells. 2007 Jun; 25(6):1552-9.
- CNS progenitor cells promote a permissive environment for neurite outgrowth via a matrix metalloproteinase-2-dependent mechanism. J Neurosci. 2007 Apr 25; 27(17):4499-506.
- Survival, migration and differentiation of retinal progenitor cells transplanted on micro-machined poly(methyl methacrylate) scaffolds to the subretinal space. Lab Chip. 2007 Jun; 7(6):695-701.
- Progenitor cells from the porcine neural retina express photoreceptor markers after transplantation to the subretinal space of allorecipients. Stem Cells. 2007 May; 25(5):1222-30.
- Retinal transplantation. Chem Immunol Allergy. 2007; 92:300-316.
- Sorbitol causes preferential selection of Muller glial precursors from late retinal progenitor cells in vitro. Mol Vis. 2006 Dec 20; 12:1606-14.
- A comparison of neural differentiation and retinal transplantation with bone marrow-derived cells and retinal progenitor cells. Stem Cells. 2006 Oct; 24(10):2270-8.
- Retinal progenitor cell xenografts to the pig retina: immunological reactions. Cell Transplant. 2006; 15(7):603-12.
- Tissue bioengineering: potential applications to glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol. 2005 Dec; 123(12):1725-31.
- Biodegradable polymer composite grafts promote the survival and differentiation of retinal progenitor cells. Stem Cells. 2005 Nov-Dec; 23(10):1579-88.
- Stem cells in the mammalian eye: a tool for retinal repair. APMIS. 2005 Nov-Dec; 113(11-12):845-57.
- Retinal progenitor cell xenografts to the pig retina: morphologic integration and cytochemical differentiation. Arch Ophthalmol. 2005 Oct; 123(10):1385-93.
- Stimulation of neurite outgrowth by neurotrophins delivered from degradable hydrogels. Biomaterials. 2006 Jan; 27(3):452-9.
- Effects of ciliary neurotrophic factor on differentiation of late retinal progenitor cells. Stem Cells. 2005 Mar; 23(3):424-32.
- Multipotent retinal progenitors express developmental markers, differentiate into retinal neurons, and preserve light-mediated behavior. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2004 Nov; 45(11):4167-73.
- Stem cells and retinal repair. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2004 Mar; 23(2):149-81.
- Retinal transplantation of neural progenitor cells derived from the brain of GFP transgenic mice. Vision Res. 2003 Jul; 43(16):1699-708.
- Expression of cytokines by multipotent neural progenitor cells. Cytokine. 2003 May; 22(3-4):101-6.
- The immunological properties of adult hippocampal progenitor cells. Vision Res. 2003 Apr; 43(8):947-56.
- Incorporation of murine brain progenitor cells into the developing mammalian retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003 Jan; 44(1):426-34.
- Neural progenitor cells lack immunogenicity and resist destruction as allografts. Stem Cells. 2003; 21(4):405-16.
- Allogeneic neonatal neuronal retina grafts display partial immune privilege in the subcapsular space of the kidney. J Immunol. 2002 Nov 15; 169(10):5601-6.
- Transplantation of Human Neural Progenitor Cells to the Vitreous Cavity of the Royal College of Surgeons Rat. Cell Transplant. 2001 Mar; 10(2):223-233.
- Intracellular and cell-surface distribution of amyloid precursor protein in cortical astrocytes. Brain Res Bull. 1999 Sep 01; 50(1):27-32.
- The retinal ganglion cells that drive the pupilloconstrictor response in rats. Brain Res. 1998 Mar 23; 787(2):191-202.
- Parameters of transplant-mediated pupilloconstriction in rats with unilateral olivary pretectal lesions. J Comp Neurol. 1997 Nov 17; 388(2):327-35.
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During the last 10 years, work in the Young laboratory has established that neural stem or progenitor cells overcome the barrier to morphological integration present in the mature mammalian retina. The researchers have also demonstrated that neural stem cells are an inherently immune privileged tissue, and survive in conventional sites in allogeneic recipients. The laboratory has isolated stem cells from the mouse, pig, and human retina and have shown that such cells are capable of photoreceptor differentiation
Dr. Young and his colleagues now aim to establish a novel stem cell therapy using retinal progenitor cells grafted to the mature, diseased host retina. This approach will allow them to make important steps toward their goal of functional restoration of vision.
Interphotoreceptor Matrix-Based Cell Delivery Vehicle for Retinal Regeneration
The Young laboratory is investigating new natural polymer scaffolds for the propagation and differentiation of retinal stem cells.
CEP-290 and Stem Cells
These studies are aimed at repairing the retina of CEP-290 patients using human retinal stem cells.
Human Retinal Stem Cells
This work involves the characterization of human retinal stem cells for use in clinical studies.
Inducers and Mimickers of GDNF Signaling for the Treatment of Retinal Disease
The Young laboratory is performing drug discovery work with the goal of finding inducers of the GDNF pathway. The goal is to develop a new therapy that rescues retinal neurons and prevents neovascularization.
Current Members of Dr. Michael Young’s Laboratory
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Deept Singh, PhD
- Pierre Colombe, PhD
Alumni
- More than 40 trainees have worked in Dr. Young’s laboratory.
