Advances in the study of Mller glia reprogramming in mammals

Muller cells play an integral role in the development, maintenance, and photopic signal transmission of the retina. While lower vertebrate Muller cells can differentiate into various types of retinal neurons to support retinal repair following damage, there is limited neurogenic potential of mammalian Muller cells. Therefore, it is of great interest to harness the neurogenic potential of mammalian Muller cells to achieve self-repair of the retina. While multiple studies have endeavored to induce neuronal differentiation and proliferation of mammalian Muller cells under defined conditions, the efficiency and feasibility of these methods often fall short, rendering them inadequate for the requisites of retinal repair. As the mechanisms and methodologies of Muller cell reprogramming have been extensively explored, a summary of the reprogramming process of unlocking the neurogenic potential of Muller cells can provide insight into Muller cell fate development and facilitate their therapeutic use in retinal repair. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the progress in reprogramming mammalian Muller cells and discuss strategies for optimizing methods and enhancing efficiency based on the mechanisms of fate regulation.