title: How to build and rebuild a lens.
abstract: Evolution has used many different strategies to build eyes and lenses. However, the genetic regulation involved seems to be quite conserved. Likewise, the regeneration of eye structures is remarkable, especially in salamanders. This review outlines the basic mechanisms of lens regeneration and its induction and the possibility of creating lenses by transdifferentiation of the pigment epithelial cells, by stem cells or by bioengineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering, University of Dayton, Ohio 45469-2320, USA. Panagiotis.Tsonis@notes.udayton.edu
authors.forename: Panagiotis A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tsonis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000196:embryology* / Q000293:injuries*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014562:Caudata / Q000502:physiology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000502:physiology*