David M. Gamm, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Waisman Center, Room T609
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53792
Office : (608) 263-6429
Clinic : (608) 263-6414
| Degrees: | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1998 |
| Appointments: | Retina Research Foundation Edwin & Dorothy Gamewell Professor, UW Eye Research Institute |
| Internships: | Spectrum Hospitals, Grand Rapids, MI |
| Residency: | University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI |
| Fellowships: | University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI |
| Specialty: | Pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity |
| Research: | Inherited and acquired eye diseases that culminate in the degeneration of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) are a significant cause of visual morbidity. The isolation and in vitro propagation of regionally specific stem cell populations from the human central nervous system has raised interest in the applications of stem cell biology in the study and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Similarly, innovative methods of culturing retinal precursor cells from human ocular tissues may further our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in retinal neurogenesis and cell fate determination. This in turn could lead to the production of defined populations of transplantable cells capable of preventing or repairing photoreceptor or RPE degeneration. The goals of my research are to: 1) use a novel tissue culture technique to isolate and expand precursor cells and RPE obtained from retina and pigmented epithelial regions of prenatal and adult human eyes, 2) characterize their growth and differentiation potential in response to different culture environments, 3) determine their capacity to repopulate or rescue photoreceptors in animal models of retinal degeneration, and 4) examine the influence of RPE on retinal development. In many of our projects, we take advantage of our close association with the laboratory of Dr. Clive Svendsen to compare our findings with those obtained from other human brain regions. Using our culture method, free-floating spheres of retinal cells and sheets of RPE can be cultured from the posterior segment of human embryonic eyes. Cells prompted to migrate from the retinal spheres undergo differentiation and adopt distinct morphologies and patterns of cell marker expression depending on age and culture conditions. In addition, these cell lines are amenable to viral transformation and demonstrate the potential to efficiently deliver neuroprotective factors directly to the retina. By understanding the behavior of our retinal and RPE populations in vitro and in vivo, we hope to optimize strategies to delay or reverse the effects of potentially devastating eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. |
| Publications: | Gamm DM, Nelson AN and Svendsen CS. Human retinal progenitor cells grown as neurospheres demonstrate time-dependent changes in neuronal and glial cell fate potential. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1049:107-117, 2005. |
| Locations: | University Station Clinic (608-263-6414) |